Illuminated by Joy - a Group for Catholic Teens discussion

Here I'm going to post Advent Meditations which will be written by myself.

Sunday in the First Week of Advent:
"Lead me in Thy Truth, and teach me
For Thou art the God of my salvation
For Thee I wait all the day long."

This Advent let God lead you, teach you in His most Holy ways. Let your mind and heart be open to him, have daily obedience to His Will. Have Faith in Him, hope in him, for He is our Salvation, and He will not lead us astray.
Mary let God teach her and lead her in all with her simple words "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to my according to thy word." She must have repeated these words in her heart every day of her life, she waited for God to work in her and in the world. Can we do better?
My sweet Savior, soon to come into the world, have Mercy of me.
Mary, bearer of the Light of the World, help me to wait on God, and pray for me.
Bl Pier Giorgio, always ready to obey and learn the Will of God, pray for me.

"Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
Who are you that Mary should intercede for you, help you, love you with a mother's love? Nothing. We do not deserve her love. But we can love her with our own poor love, and honour her. Do something for her. Put flowers in front of an image of her. Say her litany. Say the memorare. It doesn't have to be something big. Ask her to guide you this Advent and prepare your heart to receive her son for the day we remember his coming to the world.

Tuesday in the first week of Advent.
"It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God."
Two days ago, on Sunday, I posted a Bible verse, here is one of the lines, "For Thee I wait all the day long."
Now, the own above elaborates on this. It tells us to wait on the Lord in silence for His Salvation.
This verse can be understood threefold, at least, to my knowledge. The first is of the Jews waiting for the Salvation of the Savior, Jesus Christ. The second, how we must wait for the salvation of the Lord for the world around us, the second coming of Christ. The third, and most relevant for us, is in our own personal life. I imagine you want to grow spiritually this Advent, this line tells us how. We must wait for God to make us good, for we cannot do it ourselves, in silent meditation. Be like Mary who 'pondered these things in her heart,' and wait. Not an inactive waiting, an active waiting, doing all you can with the grace of God, for your spiritual betterment. But wait in silence for it, a joyful, loving silence that lets us listen to God.
That was what Mary did, that is what she will help us to do, if you ask her.
Mary, joyfully silent, pray for us.

Wednesday in the First week of Advent.
"And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him."
Simeon was waiting for our Lord, for the Saviour to come. He waited well: it says he was 'just and devout', and the Holy Ghost was in him. Because he waited well he was given the grace by the Holy Ghost of recognizing Jesus when he saw him, and not just seeing the helpless babe as so many others did.
Let us wait patiently this Advent, justly and devoutly, and when Christmas comes, with the grace of God, we will be able to recognise the Saviour in our hearts.
Mary always waited, patiently, never losing hope. Let us imitate her and ask her intercession.
Mary, always patient, pray for us.

Thursday in the First week in Advent:
"Look about thee, O Jerusalem, towards the east, and behold the joy that cometh to thee from God."
Christ is coming.
Have you felt that Christmas is a time of such joy you feel your heart would burst? Jesus, who is coming, is born, is joy itself. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was to me a joy and gladness of my heart: for thy name is called upon me, O Lord God of hosts." The Word was made flesh. Rejoice in the word, in the Lord, made man. Love him, let your heart song his praises. Love him, so that your heart may be a fitting place, so much as it can be, for our joy.
One of Mary's titles is 'cause of our joy.' Because of her, Jesus our joy, was born. She is the cause of His birth, so she is the cause of our joy. Pray to her that you may welcome this joy with love.
Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati was called an 'explosion of joy' he was so joyful. This was because he truly had joy, our Lord, inside him. Let us try and be an explosion of joy this Advent so we may be more like our Joy.

Friday in the First Week of Advent:
"And they shall say in that day: Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have patiently waited for him, we shall rejoice and be joyfull in his salvation."
Waiting. It doesn't sound very pleasant does it? Waiting. Waiting. That seems to be a time for moping, complaining, impatience.
But, imagine yourself on Christmas day, will you be happier if you impatiently wait for Christmas, or if you wait patiently with joy in your heart. Similarly imagine yourself on your death bed. Will you be happier if you spent your whole life sadly, impatiently, trying to make yourself better but not seeming to make progress, or if you wait patiently for God to make you good, doing all you can with rejoicing. "We have waited for him and He will save us" . We must wait, and we will be saved. But we must wait, but we will rejoice in His Salvation that will come.
Mary waited. She was patient. She trusted. In this time we must be like her when all too much impatience in glorified in the young. I've seen an advert several times that said "impatience is a virtue". Yes we mustn't take them to seriously. But remember adverts are catered to people. It must be a popular sentiment. But impatience is wrong, it shows a lack of trust.

"My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations; Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience. And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing."

Saturday in the First Week of Advent:
"Now therefore seeing the Lord hath chosen thee to build the house of the sanctuary, take courage, and do it."
The Lord is coming to build a sanctuary in your heart, but first the ground must be cleared, and the way prepared. The Lord is coming to build a sanctuary in your heart to prepare it for himself. Aid our Lord in the building all of Advent that it may be ready on Christmas, to receive in it the little Baby Jesus, with Mary and Joseph. He will build the stable of Bethlehem in our hearts.
Mary, help me to the Lord's Will in building this stable, and come into my heart with Joseph your house to make a more fit reception for the Baby Jesus.

Sunday in the 2nd week of Advent.
"MY CHILD, I am the Lord Who gives strength in the day of trouble. Come to Me when all is not well with you. Your tardiness in turning to prayer is the greatest obstacle to heavenly consolation, for before you pray earnestly to Me you first seek many comforts and take pleasure in outward things. Thus, all things are of little profit to you until you realize that I am the one Who saves those who trust in Me, and that outside of Me there is no worth-while help, or any useful counsel or lasting remedy.

But now, after the tempest, take courage, grow strong once more in the light of My mercies; for I am near, says the Lord, to restore all things not only to the full but with abundance and above measure. Is anything difficult for Me? Or shall I be as one who promises and does not act? Where is your faith? Stand firm and persevere. Be a man of endurance and courage, and consolation will come to you in due time. Wait for Me; wait -- and I will come to heal you."
The Imitation of Christ book III, chapter 30.

I'm sorry for being absent for so long. I'll try and do better. For now, I'm going to post A Spiritual Christmas Crib by Father Frederic Nelson every day this Advent.

DEC. 9 - SWADDLING CLOTHES
Prepare these for the Divine Infant by folding your hands when you pray, and praying slowly and thoughtfully.
--Jesus, let me love you more and more.
(Also I found these on the blog http://www.traditionalcatholicliving.com)

DEC. 10 - BLANKETS
Provide the manger of your heart with soft warm blankets. Avoid harsh and angry words; be kind and gentle to all.
--Jesus, help me to be meek and humble like You.

DEC. 11 - FUEL
Bring fuel to the crib of Jesus. Give up your own will; obey your superiors cheerfully and promptly. --Jesus, let me do Your will in all things.