{"id":9137,"date":"2019-12-21T08:13:23","date_gmt":"2019-12-21T14:13:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=9137"},"modified":"2026-02-26T13:39:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:39:46","slug":"light-in-the-dark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2019\/12\/21\/light-in-the-dark\/","title":{"rendered":"Light in the dark"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Northern hemisphere, today is the shortest day of the year, the day when we experience the least sunlight.<\/p>\n

We’re still in the season of Advent, the season of longing and hope. Even if the preparations and Christmas celebrations of this season have had you feeling busy and stressed, you still have time to tune into God’s graces, to notice how God is working in your struggles and joys.<\/p>\n

To help you lean toward the light, to trust in its coming, I now offer you the top five Advent reflections from Messy Jesus Business since this blog began over nine years ago.<\/p>\n

\"woman-lights-snow-christmas\"
Image courtesy pixabay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most wonderful time of the\u00a0year<\/a><\/h1>\n

by Sister Rhonda Miska (December 14, 2018)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the most wonderful time of the year!\u201d<\/p>\n

Except, for you, this holiday season is anything but<\/i>. Maybe you are moving through the annual traditions for the first time without a loved one because of death or divorce. Maybe a job loss or economic hardship means buying gifts or booking travel is financially out of reach. Maybe family dysfunction brought on by addiction or mental illness has strained relationships to the breaking point. Maybe you are spending your days enduring chemotherapy or healing from major surgery instead of trimming the tree and wrapping gifts. Maybe your experience of infant loss or miscarriage means that the mail filled with cheery photos of others<\/i>\u2019 kids sitting on Santa\u2019s lap or posed beside the fireplace touches your own place of loss. Maybe this year, you and yours are among so many who have been touched by natural disasters or gun violence or deportation or mass incarceration. \u00a0(Read more)\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Pregnant with hope<\/a><\/h1>\n

by Amy Nee-Walker (December 12, 2011)<\/p>\n

When truth is spoken it illuminates more than just the person. The light stretches its filamented fingers, lacing them through history and pointing toward what is to be. Mary, a young unwed woman, accepts the impossible announcement that she will carry not only a child, but the Christ-child. Affirmed by her cousin, Elizabeth, that this strange pregnancy is an act of God, Mary goes beyond the exultation of trusting that her own reputation will be restored and indicates another restoration: the \u201cmighty are brought down from their thrones\u2026the hungry filled with good things\u2026the rich sent empty away.\u201d She joyously reveals God\u2019s plan for a transformed social order.<\/p>\n

Was Mary aware of how closely her words echoed those of the prophet Isaiah? Or was this spontaneous outpouring of the spirit, of joy, simply an irrepressible desire to magnify the God who desires good for all even, perhaps especially, the oppressed. (Read more.)\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Craving a countercultural\u00a0Christmas<\/a><\/h1>\n

By Julia Walsh (November 27, 2013)<\/p>\n

My Christmas Every Day experiment<\/a>\u00a0is starting to get awkward.<\/p>\n

Advent<\/a> hasn\u2019t even started yet, but Christmas\u2019 crazed and over-weight relative Consumerism\u00a0<\/em>is already in town, on the news, and wasting your gasoline and money as he drives\u00a0all around town shopping.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, I\u2019m crowding with others in the cozy chapel, savoring peace and quiet and adoring God\u2019s goodness while we pray for wisdom about how to revive radical Gospel living.<\/p>\n

My Christmas ever day experiment is not about Santas, shopping, or catchy commercials. Yet, while these things become more prevalent, I am becoming afraid that any uttering of \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d that I make might be mistaken for an approval of the petty parts of the holiday happening prematurely. (Read More)<\/a><\/p>\n

Porters, Posadas and our Advent\u00a0invitation<\/a><\/h1>\n

By Rhonda Miska (December 12, 2016)<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome!\u201d My Capuchin Franciscan postulant friend greeted me as he opened the large wooden door, inviting me inside from the Midwestern early-winter chill. There was a handsome plate beside the door, announcing to visitors that this large old house was the St. Conrad Priory.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is St. Conrad?\u201d I asked, stepping inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a porter,\u201d my friend answered. \u201cHe opened the door and extended hospitality to visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

As we made our way into the foyer he continued, gesturing to an icon on the wall \u201cThis is Solanus Casey<\/a>, who is up for canonization. We have quite a few Franciscan porter saints.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was surprised \u2013 porter saints? Surely, it is easy to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary holiness of courageous missionaries, wise theologians, inspiring preachers, tireless pastoral workers and valiant martyrs. But porters? (Read More)\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Fear, darkness, and\u00a0Advent<\/a><\/h1>\n
By Julia Walsh (December 15, 2016)<\/div>\n
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Lately a certain Gospel instruction is has been\u00a0grinding challenge into my life, really giving my heart a doozy of a talking to.<\/p>\n

Jesus says it a lot, in many different ways:<\/p>\n

Do not be afraid.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(Luke 1:30; Mark 5:36; Mark 6:50)<\/p>\n

Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?<\/em><\/strong> (Matthew 6:27)<\/p>\n

Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.<\/em> <\/strong>(Matthew 6:34)<\/p>\n

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life.<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(Matthew 6:25)<\/p>\n

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(John 14:27)<\/p>\n

Jesus is, after all, a very encouraging savior, a source of strength. He needs us to\u00a0be brave if we\u2019re going to do the hard work of building up the kingdom of peace and justice in the here and now.<\/p>\n

Plus, it makes sense that the Gospel would be packed with messages telling\u00a0us to persevere in faith. By the time the Gospels were written down\u2014a few decades after Jesus walked the earth\u2014those early Christians were dealing with some pretty intense fear. Uprisings and persecutions were becoming common. The Roman Empire was increasing its control, getting more oppressive to anyone who wasn\u2019t\u00a0\u2026 well \u2026 Roman. With such heavy darkness, it must have felt\u00a0like the world was falling apart. Sort of reminds me of the world we\u2019re living in today. (Read more<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo by David Monje on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May the Light of Christ transform you all, and give you great peace! Happy Solstice!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the Northern hemisphere, today is the shortest day of the year, the day when we experience the least sunlight. We’re still in the season of Advent, the season of longing and hope. Even if the preparations and Christmas celebrations of this season have had you feeling busy and stressed, you still have time to...","protected":false},"author":4071079,"featured_media":8333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2178641],"tags":[698755378,160814565,91,14196316,837986,67908,401,7816,23161,20816,33210,34036,612766,277414,691762800,110427,212021,241748,57610,936],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-9137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prayer-and-spirituality","tag-advent","tag-amy-nee-walker","tag-blogging","tag-christmas","tag-countercultural","tag-darkness","tag-faith","tag-god","tag-gospel","tag-hope","tag-light","tag-longing","tag-porters","tag-posada","tag-rhonda-miska","tag-ritual","tag-solstice","tag-struggle","tag-trust","tag-waiting","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/christmas-2971961_640.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"

Light in the dark<\/a><\/blockquote>