Las lecturas dominicales nos acercan m�s a Cristo

Monday, December 8, 2008

*Cheryl Whapham

English Spanish

En mi blog anterior, me concentré en la conversión. Considero que la necesidad que tenemos, como adultos, de acercarnos cada vez más a Jesús es la tarea más importante que debemos llevar a cabo cada día. Entonces surge la pregunta: “¿Cómo puedo hacerlo?” ¿Cómo puedo acercarme más a Cristo? Hay tantas respuestas a esta pregunta como hay cristianos, pero hoy quiero sugerir que nos acerquemos más a Cristo al estar más conscientes del Año Litúrgico de la Iglesia.

El Catecismo Católico de los Estados Unidos para los Adultos (publicado por la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los EEUU en julio de 2006) declara que en el Año Litúrgico, la Iglesia celebra el misterio total de Cristo, desde la Encarnación hasta el día de Pentecostés y la espera de la segunda venida de Cristo. La cumbre del Año Litúrgico es el Triduo Pascual, desde la noche del Jueves Santo a la noche del Domingo de Pascua (USCCA, p. 173).

El 30 de noviembre de 2008 se dio inicio a un nuevo Año Litúrgico con el Primer Domingo de Adviento. La Iglesia estableció un calendario litúrgico con el propósito de ofrecernos oportunidades para encuentros significativos con Cristo durante nuestras celebraciones eucarísticas. Cada época del Año Litúrgico (el Adviento, la temporada de la Navidad, Cuaresma, la Pascua y el Tiempo Ordinario) revela las verdades sobre el ministerio y la misión de Jesús. Las lecturas de las Escrituras en el Leccionario han sido escogidas específicamente para permitirnos penetrar en los misterios de nuestra fe. Estas lecturas dominicales demandan nuestra atención y estudio.

Una manera maravillosa para orar y estudiar estas lecturas es utilizando Catholic Conversations on the Scriptures (Conversaciones Católicas sobre las Escrituras). Este recurso es publicado por nuestra Arquidiócesis y enviado cada mes por correo electrónico a todas las parroquias. También se encuentra publicado en nuestro sitio en la web para que cualquier persona tenga acceso al mismo. Catholic Conversations es un documento de una página que incluye la lectura del Evangelio, un breve comentario, y destaca los tres mensajes significativos que contiene, además de ofrecer preguntas para la reflexión personal o compartida.

Yo intento utilizar Catholic Conversations una vez a la semana para mi oración personal. También utilizo este recurso con frecuencia antes de iniciar nuestras reuniones con el personal en la oficina. El mes pasado, justo antes de nuestra reunión, di una lectura rápida al Evangelio y a las preguntas para la discusión. Mientras me dirigía a la reunión, pensé: “Esto no tiene sentido alguno”. Minutos más tarde, mientras se proclamaba el Evangelio en voz alta, me sobrecogió un torrente de emoción y sentido. Fue un profundo recordatorio del poder de las Escrituras y de cuán importante es para nuestras vidas estar conectados con la vida de la Iglesia a través del entendimiento del año litúrgico y de sus ciclos.

¿Cómo han tocado su vida las lecturas de las Escrituras para la temporada del Adviento? ¿Qué hace para acoger el sentido de gozo y espera característico de esta época?

Cheryl J. Orwig Whapham
Directora, Ministerios Laicos y Formación de Adultos en la Fe

Comments from readers

Cheryl Whapham - 12/09/2008 05:10 PM: Advent Greetings!

William - Thank you for sharing with us your faithfulness to the Seasons of the Church. I applaud you in your devotion to becoming closer to Christ through the liturgical year and for carrying this devotion with you to your place of work. It is so important that we witness our faith. Which is a perfect segue to Luis...

Luis - Good to hear from you and thank you for mentioning the example that John the Baptist is for all of us. What a challenge it represents, huh? To proclaim the coming of the Lord every moment of our lives...to live an awareness that deep, that profound, that authentic...I pray that I can do better.

Sean -
All the time. God is Good.
In 1994, I was youth minister at a parish in western Colorado. The pastor insisted that we pray the Gospel before each staff meeting, each parish meeting, any gathering at all. Each week, I would enter into the Gospel at least 7 times, often more (as you know, parishes have a lot of meetings!). The pastor himself was at many of these meetings. One of the most powerful things for me was hearing our pastor preach on Sunday and have his homily guided by the very same reflections that he and I had heard in some of these parish meetings. He demonstrated, week after week, how the Word of God was operating within our community.
ACND will continue to be blessed by the Word being proclaimed and prayed in your community.

Maria-
Thank you for sharing your faithfulness. I have no idea where I would be without the Word of God and I pray that I never find out! You and Luis point out that our God is a LIVING GOD. What a blessing it is to read these words and always experience them anew!

Jaime-
Thanks for participating in the blog. You have so much to offer our Church. Please do forward the blog along...I think this is such a powerful way for us all to be in dialogue with one another and to support one another in our journey to know Christ in a more profound way.

Advent Blessings,
Cheryl

Dr. Jaime Padro - 12/09/2008 09:16 AM: Very informative post, Cheryl. I will forward it to my "Marriages in Victory movement friends right away. Every single Catholic out there must be an expert in the basics of our liturgical year. Please keep on writing these kinds of educational pieces. They are very helpful...

Dr. Padro/Miramar

Maria E. Semper - 12/09/2008 09:02 AM: Cheryl: Thank you for writing this article that brings our attention to the importance to hear the proclamation of the Word of God. It is my experience that it not only brings us closer to God, but that by listening to His word we are able to better live our lives. Through the years, as I read and listen to the same readings, over and over again, I always find new meaning and help in my daily life and in my daily problems. Often, as I am enlighten and find guidance and help in His words, my heart goes to those that miss this blessed daily life experience. I should share a feeling that comes from the bottom of my heart: "What would I be and where would I be if I wouldn't live His word!!!"
Maria E. Semper

Sean Moffett - 12/09/2008 08:06 AM: Dear Cheryl,
Thanks for your strong affirmation of the power of sharing the weekly Gospel and for calling attention to the outstanding tool we have in Catholic Converstions. The faculty at ACND has helped to make engagement in the Catholic Converstions a weekly experience for each of our students. All meetings '' faculty, parents, administration '' begin with a brief reflection on the Gospel of the coming Sunday. The impact is palpable.
God is good. All the time.
Warmest regards,
Sean
Brother Patrick Sean Moffett, CFC Archbishop Curley Notre Dame HS

Luis Rivero - 12/08/2008 05:38 PM: Cheryl,
Thank you for that wonderful blog. You hit the nail right on the head! Our Catholic tradition offers a structure in the Scriptures proclaimed at mass with a systematic and educative foundation. Furthermore, we profess a true and living God whom continues to dialogue with us through prayer both public and private. The readings would remain simply ink on paper if they are not proclaimed, not brought to life. Your experience prior to your staff meeting and during is a perfect example. I would dare say that when you read it you did not read aloud, you probably would have gotten funny looks by your colleagues. Nonetheless, when you heard it in a loud voice, proclaimed the words came to life.

Personally, during this advent season the Gospel this past sunday speak to us about John the Baptist as he proclaims the coming of the Lord. For me every year this reading strikes a chord because it reminds me that we ought to be like John the Baptist proclaiming the coming of the Lord in every moment of our lives. We are to remind ourselves that there is One greater than us whom is coming and we have to be ready to receive Him and welcome Him.

Thanking you again and wishing you Advent Blessings,
Luis Rivero

William VanderWyden - 12/08/2008 03:40 PM: I appreciate the comments that encourage us to become closer to Christ by living through the Liturgical Year. I must report that my life is governed by the Liturgical Year. Every morning when I get up to wash and brush my teeth, a calendar reminds me of the season and the liturgical day. I know what to expect at Mass in the mornings. I stopped for lunch at Wendy's today and observed the people around me and those zooming by in the traffic thinking, "I wonder how many of these people know that we celebrate the solemn feast of Mary's Immaculate Conception today?" How blessed we are as Catholic people to know these and appreciate these events in our salvation history. When I returned to UM, one of the student assistants reminded me that it was St. Nicholas Day on Saturday. I had already written my friend in the Netherlands to wish him and his compatriots well. The Advent Season is so special, as "we wait in joyful hope for the coming of Our Savior, Jesus Christ."

Merry Christmas!