Wednesday, First Week of Advent

A New Video Series: Coffee with Padre

By Fr. Timothy Armbruster, C.PP.S.

Today’s Readings

• Is 25:6-10a
• Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
• Mt 15:29-37

I once stood in the choir facing the congregation as people came forward to receive communion. We were singing, “Here I am Lord.” I remember looking up from the hymnal and not being able to sing another word. That day I saw in their faces the hurt and fear, hope and joy, the frowns, the smiles, the uncertainty. As the choir sang “Here I am Lord, is it I Lord?” I found myself asking the question, “Is it me? and if so, how can I ever truly serve these people?” The questions kept flooding my mind. How will I ever serve another? Do I really have what it takes?

Even today, I cannot sing that song without having flashbacks to that day.

In our gospel today, Jesus upon seeing the people said “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd.”  He truly saw and felt the concerns and needs of others.

What does it mean for us to reach out and help someone else? How much do others expect of us? How much are we called to do?

I sometimes dread the words, “Hey Father, do you have some time to talk?” It’s usually because someone needs some advice, some words of wisdom and may not know where else to turn. It’s sometimes scary because I’m not sure what the person wants to talk about or what’s troubling them. I find myself wondering if I can even help the person or not.

I’ve learned over the years, it might not be my advice or my wisdom that the person is seeking. Sometimes it just might be a listening ear. I’ve discovered that many times the wisdom or advice the person seeks is within his or her story. It’s just a matter of speaking it and listening for it. Sometimes the person just needs to hear it repeated back and validated by someone they trust.

Even if I might not have the words of wisdom or great advice to give, I do have the time to listen. I listen to what the person is saying or not saying. I listen to his or her body language. I know I can’t take the hurt and pain away, but I can listen and validate what I have heard.

Might this season of Advent challenge us to see more fully the needs of others and allow us to speak heart to heart?

Blessings on your Advent journey.

New videos are posted at 6:30 a.m. on Sundays and Wednesdays during Advent.

All of the videos in this series can be found here: Coffee with Padre

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[Fr. Timothy Armbruster is a Precious Blood priest whose ministry has focused on parish work and retreats for youth and young adults. He holds a Master’s of Divinity Degree from Catholic Theological Union and describes himself as “a clown at heart.” Fr. Timothy incorporates clown ministry into his work to open our hearts, to seek laughter and happiness, and to see the world around us a bit differently. “In the stuffiness of life, we need God’s humor to see things anew,” he says.]

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