Breath of Heaven, Hold Me Together

Advent is quickly drawing to a close as Christmas approaches in just a short week. Our Gospel readings are focusing less on the second coming and more on this first coming, as we now must be patient, waiting in silent prayer for the fulfillment of God's plan. And what a truth that is for us in our lives. We sit and wait, listening to God tug on our hearts. But the fulfillment of those plans do not always happen immediately. We must constantly unite ourselves with our Blessed Mother, as she waited, scared but patient, lonely but full of hope, feeling unworthy but abandoning herself to His plan. In this last week before Christmas, let us truly be one with our Mother, waiting in hopeful prayer for His plan to be fulfilled--both for His birth at Christmas and in each of our lives.

There's a beautiful song illustrating this truth, "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant. I heard it for the first time a couple weeks ago, and it has quickly become one of my favorites.

I have traveled many moonless nights
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy Father, You have come
And chosen me now, to carry Your Son

I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now, be with me now

Breath of Heaven, hold me together
Be forever near me, Breath of Heaven
Breath of Heaven, lighten my darkness
Pour over me Your holiness, for You are holy
Breath of Heaven

Do you wonder as you watch my face
If a wiser one should have had my place
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of Your plan
Help me be strong, help me be, help me


"The angel Gabriel said, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.' But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."
~Luke 1:28-30

The Dawn of Advent

Well, happy new year and happy Advent! (I know, a couple days late) What a beautiful time of year. The Church's new year, time to start fresh. It's funny how toward the end of the season of Ordinary Time, many readings in Mass were concerned with the "end of time," the second coming of Christ. And here as we begin Advent, we continue to hear about the coming of Jesus, as we did last Sunday, with being cautioned to "be ready" for Him, for we know not at what hour He will come. As this speaks of the second coming, we also spend Advent preparing to remember His first coming, when a young girl answered "yes" to the call of God, and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. The words "come, Lord Jesus!" echo in the hearts of all Christians in this season, as we await Christmas, as well as our Lord's second coming in glory.

And as we listen and reflect on these Gospels concerned with His coming, do we think about the "coming" of Christ we can witness each and every day? Do we stop and think of how God answers our prayer of "come, Lord Jesus" all over the world at every hour of the day at every single Mass, when Heaven kisses earth and the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord becomes incarnate before our very eyes? Does this perpetual coming of our Lord become redundant or routine? Let this time of Advent be a time for us to renew our love for the Mass and the Eucharist, where we can celebrate "Christmas" every day; a celebration of our Lord dwelling among us. Let us not forget that the glory of it all is the He IS here. Just as He promised. What a faithful God we have!

And, to echo the chillingly inspiring end to Fr. Baker's homily last Sunday,
GOD IS WITH US!!


"All the love in the world is right here among us."
~David Crowder