Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).

The last day of 2020. How many of us have longed for this day, as we have awaited the end of one of the longest years of most of our lives.

Each year, I find that I usually spend the month of December feeling particularly nostalgic as I look back on the previous year and the work that the Lord has done in my life during the last 12 months. This year is one that maybe a lot of us do not want to reflect on but would rather forget and move forward. And yet, when I take the time to reflect, I see how the Lord’s power was still at work in incredible ways, both in my life and in the lives of my family and friends.

No matter what this year has brought, there is no such thing as wasted suffering when it is offered to the Lord. While none of us know what the next year will bring, I truly believe that the fruits to come in 2021, born of our tears and suffering in 2020, will be more beautiful than anything we could imagine.

The Christmas season reminds us that the Word still became flesh. The light still shines in the darkness, and the darkness still cannot overcome it. And I pray that we never lose sight of that fact as we enter into the new year.

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.

​Where have I seen the Lord's power and might at work in my life this past year?

Where have I seen the light overcome the darkness in this past year?

What fruit do I hope to see in the year to come?

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.

​"The Word became flesh."

"The light shines in the darkness."

​"The darkness has not overcome."

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today?

​Spend some time in prayerful reflection, and offer to the Lord all the joys and struggles of the past year as well as all of your hopes and prayers for the year to come.

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).

​“Do not love this world or the things of this world.”

When I hear this, I think it can cause confusion, especially if we are new to walking daily with Christ. We might be confused because we have been told that we need to love our neighbor, which includes all of those in our lives, even those who we disagree with. This is an unbelievably radical and difficult call, but that’s what Christ calls us to. So now when we hear St. John telling us to not love this world, it seems completely contrary to what Christ calls us to in Matthews Gospel. What, then, exactly is John saying?

It is so easy for us to get wrapped up in the things of this world. The key word in this being, “things.” We live in an incredibly materialistic and self-centered society that is constantly telling us we need things, or rather we need to live a certain way to be happy. Humanity has been like this since original sin. We attempt to satisfy all our needs with the things of this world, which in the end will only satisfy us for a short time and inevitably leave us wanting more. What we all struggle to recognize is that happiness - genuine, real, happiness - can only be found in living out God’s will for us. 

I think for many of us who have become exhausted from the constant stress of keeping up perfect appearances on social media, or burned out from juggling sports, clubs, hanging out with friends, while still trying to get good grades and finding time to pray; the idea of giving our lives over to God can seem impossible or asking too much. However, what you will find in saying no to the things of this world and yes to God is not stress or anxiety, but rather the opposite: peace. When we are doing the will of God and allowing ourselves to be filled with His grace, we begin to see clearly how the things of this world were only half measures of what we desired. Our God does not do halfway, He gives in abundance. With the New Year just around the corner, what you should be desiring for this next year is abundant happiness and peace, which you can only have through a relationship with Jesus Christ. So ask yourself, “Do I want to continue to buy into what the world is offering me and leaving myself feeling half filled, or do I desire abundance?”

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.
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What do you seek to try to fill the desires of your heart? Why?

How can surrendering it all to God change your life?

What specifically do you need to hand over to God this new year?

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.

"I am all Yours, Lord."

"Jesus, I trust in You."

​"Come, Holy Spirit."

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today?
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Make a new New Years Resolution this year. Make a resolution to give it all to God. Instead of trying to let things satisfy your heart, let the Lord satisfy you this year. Give this whole new year to Him.

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).
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I am not good at waiting. I’m the kid that always tried to snoop for Christmas presents so I knew what I was going to get. I’m the one who looks for spoilers before movies come out so I can know what to expect. I am a poster-child for this generation of “I want it now”.

I’m terrible at waiting because I hate that period of not knowing or experiencing. The biggest issue I have with waiting is that, once what I’m waiting for finally arrives, I experience it in a passing moment and then it’s done. I’ve learned that if I wait for something and build it up to be great in my head, I’m often disappointed and unchanged once that thing finally happens. 

Today’s gospel reading introduces us to a wonderful challenge to my terrible ability to wait: Simeon. Simeon was a holy man, so it’s no surprise that we find him in the temple as Mary and Joseph come to present Jesus. Simeon is a master of waiting- he was told by the Lord that he wouldn’t die until “Christ of the Lord” had come. That’s more intense than any sort of waiting we do on earth. Think about this- you are literally stuck waiting for something, but once it comes, you die. I think I’d be horrified if that thing finally happened! But Simeon was a wise man, filled with the Holy Spirit, who knew that his waiting would mark the biggest event in the history of the world. 

Jesus is presented to Simeon as the moment finally comes. Simeon praises God with his beautiful song, blesses Mary, and then as far as we know, goes on to pass into eternal life. But what’s so amazing about Simeon and about this story is what it teaches us about waiting. 

We just spent a season of Advent waiting for the Lord to come. But how much did our waiting affect us? Is your life any different today, in this Christmas season, as a result of your waiting during Advent? If not, I think you can take a lesson from Simeon. Our waiting shouldn’t be a fleeting thing or a passive experience that leaves us unchanged. Simeon waited for years and years to see the coming of the Messiah, but his waiting cultivated a deep holiness in him- it changed him. When we wait for the Lord, especially, we should be seeking to prepare for the change that comes once He arrives. Jesus has come and our lives should be different this Christmas season because of that!

We have to let the times when we’re called by the Lord to wait begin to really shape and transform us, so that once He does come, we are changed for the good. As Christmas ends, take time to reflect on how you’ve been changed now by your experience of waiting in Advent.

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.
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Do you feel like you changed and grew in your relationship with God during Advent? How can you begin to grow or continue to go deeper with Christ?

How do you handle waiting? Do you find it difficult and become impatient, or do you use it for your personal betterment? How can you let the times where the Lord calls you to wait to shape and transform you for the better?

How would you have reacted if you were in the place of Simeon? How can you grow to have more trust and faith in God so that the Holy Spirit can fill you with love and peace, especially during this Christmas season?

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.
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"I trust You."

"Help me change."

​"Thank You, Lord."

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today?
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Today, work on patience and trust in the Lord. Pray about what you have been asking the Lord for and praise Him for how He has made you wait. Take time to see your situation, or a past situation, through the eyes of God and pay attention to how God used that time of waiting for your good. Let waiting be a tool for your holiness.

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).
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Christmas is the season of light! The many lights that we put on our Christmas decorations, the electric candles by the windows, the Christmas light shows in front of homes, in religious institutions, and yes, even in commercial business and public places. For some of us who live in Chicago and in the nearby suburbs, we would always make it a point to drive to the city just to see the beautiful lights displayed in the beautiful and magnificent mile.  We may not see anything in those displays anything that would resemble the true meaning of Christmas, but the fact that we use light is enough to lead us to the true meaning of this season...God is light.

The light of the Christmas star points directly to its source, Jesus in the manger. It was the light that guided the shepherds and the magi to the true Light, the sun that never sets, Jesus Christ. It is no wonder that when Jesus was about to die on that first Good Friday, St. Mark tells us that there was darkness over all the land.

Despite all the displays of lights during this season, so many of us live in constant darkness within.  The light of the screen; our over-exposure to the passing lights from our televisions, computers, tablets, and most especially our constant companions, our smartphones, have diminished the light within, has dimmed the spark that brings joy. For many of us, these lights have taken the rest intended by God for His children and have robbed us of our ability to walk together in true friendship with God and one another. Loneliness and depression has become the constant companion of many people, young and old, often caused by over-extended hours before these technological gadgets that entertain our emotions but darken our hearts and minds and our ability to true and lasting friendships and interpersonal relationship. Most especially, and most damagingly is when this light has diminished our ability for intimacy with the person of Jesus Christ, our only Light.

I pray that today, we can try to turn off all of these gadgets for a period of time.  Enjoy true family bonding while we still have our Christmas decorations, leftover cookies, and enjoy the light of love that still sparks within, beckoning us to give and share ourselves to others. May the light of Jesus that knows no darkness, be with you today.

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.
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God, what are the lights I have been focused on that have removed my gaze from You, the true Light? How should I turn more completely to You this Christmas season?

In what ways do You want to show me Your face now more than ever?

How can I be more open to the joy that comes in truly celebrating Your birth? How can I continue celebrating Christmas well as I move forward in this season?

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.
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"Show me Your face."

"You are my true Light."

​"In You there is no darkness."

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today?
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At some point during this Christmas season, take time to intentionally disconnect from technology and connect with someone else as well as with the Lord. Silence your phone for prayer, and make an effort to spend time with a family member or friend while neither of you is distracted by anything and can truly be in friendship with one another.