To the Ends of the Earth: Legacy – Catholic Men's Devotionals, Week 5 – Let's Be Honest...
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This short essay is taken from the book, The Incarnation and the Exultation: An Advent Devotional. This devotional reflects on the scriptures of incarnation and exaltation in order to take you on a journey of thoughtful self-reflection. It is meant to draw you more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s coming into the world to help you walk your own inner path toward the season of Christmas. As you celebrate the coming of Christ into your lives during Advent and spend time reflecting on the readings in this devotional, may the light and love that entered our world lead you to the cross in wonder and thanksgiving. May you find joy and discover strength as you walk this wondrous journey to Bethlehem, always holding within your heart the image of the Hill of Calvary and the hope of the Age to come when Christ will return to call his people home!
Incarnation – “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:23)
Exaltation – “But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare…” (Luke 21:34)
Advent is a time of waiting but not a time of idleness. The Scriptures celebrate the coming of God among us in the baby Jesus; and yet, they also call us to prepare for the day when that same Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. We must not allow the temptations and laziness of sinful living or the fears and anxieties of the world around us to get in the way of our vision of the One who came to set us free. When we take our eyes off Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas, we run the risk of letting life hold us in bondage, locking us away from true happiness, and putting out the Holy Spirit’s fire.
The joy of Christmas, the pleasures of life, and the anticipation of the coming kingdom can fill our hearts with hope; but if we become too complacent in our safe little worlds, we may not recognize when our focus turns to self and away from our calling to love as he has loved us.
We may not consider the pleasures of life to be a snare to our souls. After all, what is the harm in doing what makes us feel good and happy? However, we must remember that what feels good may not be what is good for us. Enjoying too much Christmas cheer can lead to gluttony or drunkenness. Giving and receiving gifts may cause us to forget that the greatest gift of all is Jesus. Family visits and holiday parties may keep us from more spiritual activities or lead to words and actions that are unwholesome and sinful. In the end, it is our attitudes and our focus that will determine where we our hearts will be.
Advent is a sobering reminder that our lives should be ever moving in God’s direction. As we meditate on the wonder of the incarnation, its power should show itself in everything we do. As we keep our eyes fixed on what is truly important, we bring a deeper meaning to our lives and to the lives of others around us. We avoid the snares of commercialism, cynicism, and self-centeredness as we become channels of the Savior’s great love to the world!
Prayer: Father, grant me a deep and holy awareness of your calling so that I may truly know what it means to live a meaningful life focused on a heavenly kingdom manifested in charity toward others for the sake of the Lord Jesus…Amen!
Lo the Virgin, hour nearing,
Calls his name Emmanuel,
King of kings in flesh appearing,
Saves us from the pow’r of hell.
Mark C. McCann is an author and Ministry Consultant with more than 30 years of writing and ministry experience. He has published articles for a number of Catholic magazines and websites including St. Anthony Messenger, Emmanuel Magazine, Liguorian Magazine, Catholic Stand, the Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He recently published the 4-volume Catholic men's devotional, To the Ends of the Earth, as well as the 2021 Advent Daybreaks devotional and 2022 Lenten Daybreaks devotional with Liguori Publishing. He has also released his End Times novel series, Jacob's Dream: The Vision and Jacob's Dream: The Final Battle. He was a radio host and producer for 8 years at a Connecticut Christian radio station and has worked as a Catholic religion teacher/campus minister and a parish youth minister. He has also served the Norwich, CT Diocese as a Youth Ministry Director and Family Life Director. He currently lives in Connecticut with his Proverbs 31 wife, where together they have brought up three incredible children. He strives each day to live out his call to be a man of words. You can learn more about Mark and his writing at www.wordsnvisions.com.
