1 DEC
December 17
The Good Samaritan: Loving Beyond Boundaries
“Love your neighbour as yourself.”
Mark 12:31
Reflection
I saw her in A & E, her bare arms scored with the marks of self-harm, she was dazed and could not walk unsupported.
Had she taken an overdose? A young woman, well under thirty. What had driven her to hate herself so much that selfharm was the only way to assuage her mental turmoil?
My guess was trauma, the unseen harm probably inflicted upon her by another person made in the image of God, butwhose actions are about as far removed from the love of God as you can get.
A person broken and battered by life such as this needs the opposite, someone to listen, someone not to judge, someone who believes in their story. Who will silence her inner critic. A loving, reliable befriender who can cope with the zig zag path of recovery. Could it be that God is calling you to be that good Samaritan?
Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that love knows no borders. Who are the ‘outsiders’ in ourcommunity, and how can we extend love to them?
Sr Judi CFS
Reflective Action
TAKE A PHOTO
Take a photo of something beautiful in creation.
Perhaps a flower, the sea, your meal, and know that you are part
of the great communion of saints and creation that celebrates Christ’s birth.
Franciscan Quote
“Behold, each day He humbles Himself as when He came from the royal throne into the womb of the Virgin; each day He comes to us, appearing humbly; each day He comes down from the bosom of the Father upon the altar into the hands of the priest.”
St. Francis of Assisi (Adm 1:16–18)
Prayer
Emmanuel, God with us,
you come not only
to stables and stars,
but to beaches and barbecues,
to laughter shared
under summer skies,
to fruit ripening under your sun.
Christ of every culture,
be born again among us,
in our land, in our homes,
in our hearts.
CULTURAL insight
In Aotearoa New Zealand, Christmas arrives not with snow and candles, but sunshine, sand, and the shimmer of
summer light. After morning worship or a quiet pause to remember Christ’s birth, many families head to the beach
– barefoot on warm sand, swimming in the Pacific, or resting be neath blooming pōhutukawa trees, whose red blossoms have become a symbol of Christmas.
Later, we gather at home around the barbecue. The meal is full of local flavour – grilled meats, fresh garden salads, stone fruits, and, often, a turkey still roasting in the oven. With a chilled glass of wine and good conversation, we celebrate. At the centre is a photo – not of gifts, but of family: laughter, arms wrapped around one another. This
is our nativity: Christ born in the warmth of human love.
Christmas in Aotearoa reminds us the Incarnation transcends climate and culture. Christ is just as present in barbecue smoke and salt spray as in candlelight and snow. Emmanuel – God with us – is not a metaphor, but a meal, a moment, a memory made sacred.
TSSF
Australia
Watching and Wondering with Mary
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
Mark 12:31
developmental markers
week 25
In the womb
- Size: ~35 cm (14 inches), about the size of a zucchini
- Eyes open for the first time
- Improved coordination and response to light and sound
- Beginning to inhale and exhale amniotic fluid—lung practice continues
in the mother
- Increased fatigue and back strain
- Growing anticipation as viability outside the womb increases
- May experience stronger kicks and baby hiccups
- Emotional connection may deepen as baby’s awareness grows
reflection
We have watched her change over these past months. What once was hidden is now unmistakable. She carries life. So near, so real, and yet still unseen.
An expectant mother may tell people how the baby moves when she sings or stands in the warmth of sunlight.
We watch her rest her hands on her belly, her eyes distant, as if she is paying attention to a world beyond our reach.
This is the time when a baby’s eyes open for the first time, sensing light in the shadows. Though the child cannot yet understand what light is, he turns toward it. Blinking. Reaching. Becoming aware.
And perhaps this is what faith looks like for all of us. That turning toward the light before we fully understand. Trusting in something growing beyond our sight.
We are learning from Mary. She shows us how to wait with hope, how to bear the mystery with wonder, how to trust the slow, unseen work of God. She reminds us that holiness often begins quietly, in the smallest signs of awareness, when life stirs us to turn toward the promise of light.
wonderings:
I wonder what small signs of light or life are stirring in us this Advent, inviting us to pay attention.
I wonder how we might practice turning toward hope, even when we cannot yet see clearly.
Journaling Prompts
If you keep an Advent Journal, here are some ideas you could write about;
The Good Samaritan crossed boundaries – of race, religion, and risk – to love someone the world said he shouldn’t.
Ask yourself:Who in my community do I tend to overlook, avoid, or judge?
What invisible lines have I drawn around who I “count” as my neighbour? What one act of mercy can I offer across that boundary this week?
Write a response that begins: “Today, I choose to love beyond…”
Let it name a wall you’re ready to cross, even in a small way.
Ireland
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