Dear Friend,

Advent Reflection by Rev. Msgr. Joseph Reilly

Life in Christ is more than the mere passage of time, days and weeks becoming months and years. For those of us who follow Christ and bear his name, our life is rooted in, sustained by and directed towards the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. All too often, in the midst of our busy and at times frenetic lives, we can lose sight of this fundamental truth: Jesus Christ is our life, our hope and surest path to the joy and peace that our hearts so deeply desire. In him we discover – and rediscover – the meaning and purpose of our lives. This holy season of Advent, which marks the beginning of the Year of Grace, 2023, is an opportunity for each of us to pause and to reconnect with this life-giving grace in Jesus Christ.

The theme for our mediations this year centers around the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Christian life (Lumen Gentium, no. 11). Once again, we hope to highlight connections between our campus here at Seton Hall and the power and presence of the Eucharist in our life of faith, both as individuals and as a community. Our intention is to present what is before our eyes and bring this together with what our hearts long for so deeply.

Gratitude is a perfect place to begin. Eucharist itself means “thanksgiving.” With a grateful heart we set out on our Advent journey together, trusting that the God of all grace will bless this time for each of us, in a manner that is both personal and life-giving. Let us begin by trusting that our loving God is going to give us what we truly need to see his face and follow in his way.

The image for today, the first Sunday of Advent, is of the sanctuary in our University Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. With the altar in the foreground, our eyes are drawn to Christ crucified, to the One who is at the center of our lives and the source of all things good, holy and true. In the second reading from the Letter to the Romans from Mass today, Saint Paul encourages us to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 13:14).

A little over a week ago, I was in our University Chapel baptizing two young cousins. In the Rite of Baptism, just after baptizing the children, the parents and godparents were presented with a white garment. I prayed these words directed toward each child by name:

“You have become a new creation and have clothed yourself in Christ. May this white garment be a sign to you of your Christian dignity.  With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring it  unstained into eternal life.”

This is how Advent is supposed to be for us spiritually – four weeks of growing in awareness of how we can “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” in a more authentic and meaningful manner.

As we set out on this Advent journey, let us commit to making these days, these four weeks, personal. Spend some time in personal prayer with the Lord in the Eucharist, if not daily, at least once a week. Let Jesus into your heart – with all its cares and worries. A principle I used to offer to the seminarians (and try to abide by myself) was: some part of the best part of your day, whenever that may be, needs to be given to God. You need to decide when that time is, but commit yourself to it. If each of us is able to do this, then all of us will walk this holy season in a spirit of recollection rather than distraction. May this Advent season increase our love for and devotion to Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, fill my heart with a longing to welcome you. Give me, I pray, the grace to live each day in your grace, ready to be with you for all eternity. May this Advent season truly be for me and for all my loved ones the beginning of the Year of Grace, 2023. Amen.

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Rev. Msgr. Joseph Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D., former Rector/Dean, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology. He holds a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, a licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) from Pontificio Istituto Teresianum, Rome, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Fordham University. He has served as a member of the Archdiocesan Priest Personnel Board, the Advisory Committee on Continuing Education and Ongoing Formation of Priests, the Archdiocesan Vocations Board, and the Board of Trustees of Seton Hall University. Pope John Paul II named him a Chaplain to His Holiness in 2005, with the title of Reverend Monsignor. In 2016 during the Holy Year of Mercy, the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization sought priests who were living signs "of the Father's welcome to all those in search of His forgiveness." He was the only priest from the Archdiocese of Newark formally commissioned as a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis.