Daily Gospel Reflection
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December 1, 2024
Jesus said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Today is the first day of Advent. The word advent means the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. Our season of Advent is pretty notable. It focuses not only on the nativity but also on the second coming of Christ. In addition, at the conclusion of this Advent, the Jubilee Year of Hope will begin on December 24th!
This background information helps when you look at this powerful reading from the Gospel of Luke. My husband, Michael, found this passage very confusing, but took away the message that we should “Be vigilant at all times.” I found affirmation in our relationship with Christ to “Pray that you have the strength” and to “stand erect and raise your heads.” The Christian walk is all about perseverance and hope.
I often think of these gifts of strength and perseverance when I reflect on my beautiful life with my husband. Michael and I met in Fr. John C. Burke’s calculus class on the fourth floor of the Administration Building in early 1976. We have been differentiating and integrating ever since. Our class of 1979 had many couples who were discerning marriage. Luckily, Mike and I received guidance for marriage through Campus Ministry and our Fencing Coach, Michael DeCicco, and his wife Polly.
Today, as we celebrate 45 years of marriage, we continue to say, “O Come, Emmanuel,” and thank God for our eight children and their six wonderful spouses integrated into our family. We praise God in jubilation for our fifteen grandchildren, who are with us on earth, and persevere in exaltation for the fourteen grandchildren God called directly to heaven.
May we integrate these words: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that [we] have the strength,” into our family and community life and truly be ready to stand erect and raise our heads when our Lord Jesus is born in our moments of love this Advent.
Prayer
Lord, it seems that every year there are floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and other disasters causing significant damage and suffering. These natural turmoils can mirror interior chaos from anxieties, self-doubt, or the realization of harm we have caused. Help us today as we begin this season of Advent to prepare for the coming of the Prince of Peace. May we be vigilant and attentive to your presence that enables us to weather every storm. Give us strength to pray all season long: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Saint of the Day
Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta was a religious sister from Congo who was killed by invading rebels fighting the 1964 civil war.
Anuarite Nengapeta was born in Congo in 1939, and was educated in the first mission in her region of Africa. When she entered the religious community of the Holy Family Sisters in 1959, she took the name Sister Marie-Clementine.
Five years later, civil war broke out across Congo. Rebels opposed foreign influence in the nation, and even suspected religious men and women who were native to Congo because they thought they cooperated with western powers.
On this date in 1964, the Holy Family Sisters convent was attacked by rebels. The rebel commander, Colonel Pierre Olombe, assaulted Sister Marie-Clémentine and attempted to rape her. Before being bayoneted and shot, she managed to proclaim, “I forgive you for you do not know what you do.”
When Pope St. John Paul II visited Zaire in 1985, he beatified Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta. Among the crowd was Olombe, the colonel who had killed her.
After the civil war, Olombe was condemned to death and spent five years in prison before being pardoned by the new president. He was also educated by missionaries, and returned to his Catholic faith when he was released from prison. When the pope made his visit, a newspaper editor found Olombe, who had become a wandering beggar, and shared with the pope the man’s desire for forgiveness. Sister Nengapeta’s parents had already declared their forgiveness for the man, and they sat next to the pope during her beatification Mass when the pope said, “And I myself, in the name of the whole church, I forgive with all my heart."
Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta was beatified from among the Bantu peoples, an ethnic group from the southern half of the continent who share indigenous language similarities.
Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta, you were the African nun who forgave your killer while you were being attacked—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Bl. Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta is in the public domain. Last accessed October 19, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
