NOTE: All reflections throughout the Advent and Christmas season will be available on our homepage and then archived on our Advent-Christmas 2023 webpage.
The reflection below is from Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace Donna Toliver Grimes from the 2005 Advent reflection booklet, Tell Them About the Times When Jesus Came: Reflections for Advent 2005.
by Donna Toliver Grimes
Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace
Isaiah 60:1-6 | Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6 | Matthew 2:1-12
“Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms … They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of God.”
Isaiah 60:4, 6b
As a teenager it was awesome to celebrate the Eucharist in my grandparents’ living room. We had home Masses on several occasions during my grandfather’s long illness and at family gatherings. Some of my mother’s friends were nuns and priests. Our faith meant a lot to us and still does.
In high school I sought dynamic liturgies. My father drove me to some radical folk Masses. As a convert to Catholicism, I think he appreciated the variations that were not allowed in our parish services back then.
Since we lived near Catholic University, we had many options within the Catholic experience. A plethora of parishes, religious houses, and other Catholic institutions surrounded us. It was also a time of transition following Vatican II, when priests and religious experimented with various forms of music, movement, and dress. Some of my favorite prayerful experiences occurred at outdoor Masses.
Many years later, I still appreciate the diversity of expressions within the Catholic framework. At the end of Mass in a parish in Daytona Beach, the priest asked, “Who’s going to bake the bread for Mass next Sunday?” He then handed the first volunteer (a man) the recipe book. At a parish in Wilmington, Delaware, a physician and young father of four danced barefoot in a freestyle with teen ballerinas while holy water was sprinkled on the congregation. In Saginaw, Michigan, a laywoman preached at the cathedral. These are a few of many liturgical experiences that touched me.
For me, Mass is a wonderful recurring gift that is well worth the spiritual journey. Whether I come to Mass sleepy and tired, a little bored or distracted, burdened with concerns, or in joyful anticipation, there’s a gift waiting there for me. Thankfully, Mass remains an essential part of my spiritual journey. I pray that we all experience its grace and gift. This reminds me of a Nigerian proverb, “Someone else’s legs do you no good in traveling.”
FOR REFLECTION:
- Talk with someone who attends daily liturgy about what this means to her or his faith life.
- Recall the last time you had a significant, positive experience of liturgy. What were the factors?
- If your recent experiences of mass tend to be less than favorable, what could you or will you do differently?
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Photo credit: Shironosov