2016 Advent Reflections

2016 Advent Reflections

Han (JoJo) Qiao, Grade 11

Kennedy Catholic High School

Hayden Hiner, Grade 12

Prelude

Fifty years ago, Kennedy Catholic High School was brought into being by great desires and sustained through sacrifice. It is a valued and notable institution, built by an exceptional faculty, staff and community and it is continuously nourished by the prayers of many.

During the four weeks of Advent, we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth through prayer and reflection. As has become recent tradition and to celebrate the Advent season, members of our faculty, staff and this year, members of our wider community have written personal reflections for this holy season. In addition, the artwork you find throughout the booklet was created by Kennedy Catholic art students.

Thank you to Mr. Dale Dolejsi and his Studio Drawing and Painting class for their collaboration on this special project.

Each of the scripture readings have been chosen by the Catholic Church for daily Mass throughout the four weeks.

Please accept this booklet as our gift to you. Amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives. We hope you find moments of contemplation to reflect on the wonder of God and to experience God’s loving goodness, mercy and grace.

May the warmth and joy of Christmas remain with you throughout the coming year.

The Faculty and Staff at Kennedy Catholic High School

November 27

First Sunday of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 2:1-5 Second Reading – Romans 13:11-14 Gospel – Matthew 24:37-44 I remember my first year as a vice principal. I was hired to replace a retired administrator that carried a concealed weapon for protection. Yes, the challenges were all about restoring new hope in hopeless situations, inspiring teachers to be faithful to their call and challenging middle schoolers to high standard of academics while accepting that the formation of this age comes with its developmental milestones! Add the commute from Northeast Tacoma/Brown’s Point to South Everett every day and my days often ended with feelings of despair, disillusionment, and my own level of hopelessness. It was about December of my first year that I first heard this song by Rich Mullins, “I Am Ready For The Storm.”

The song compares a lonely sailor encountering lightning, rolling oceans, and his inability to navigate the journey to safety to each of us encountering the challenges of life, when we feel fear, abandonment, hopelessness and times when we greet each new day with tears. The song brings hope, confidence and a vision of what life with Christ will look like.

Isaiah invites us in the days to come to “climb the Lord’s mountain to the house of the God of Jacob”. . . where one nation shall not raise the sword against another nor shall they train for war.” Are you ready to climb that mountain, to encounter the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding?

St. Paul in his letter to the Romans exhorts us to wake up from our sleep, throw off the works of darkness, to put aside the distortions of our culture and put on the armor of light, for our encounter with Christ is upon us. Are you ready to allow Christ to fill that loneliness that only He can overcome?

Last, Jesus reminds us of that encounter with God when we are called to account for our life’s work. “Stay awake, be prepared, and watch for signs.” You need not be that lonely sailor lost in the storms of life.

This season of Advent calls us to prepare ourselves for something new; the birth of the light of Jesus in every part of our lives. Are you ready?

Mike Prato President

November 28

Monday of the First Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 4:2-6 Gospel – Matthew 8:5-11

Most think of Advent as a time of waiting and preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. While correct, the tone of the first two weeks of Advent directs us towards waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus which we pray for everyday at Mass: “until you come again in Glory.” When Jesus comes again, “the Glory of God” will be fully manifest when God will bring the entire plan of creation and salvation to completion. There will be no more suffering, imperfection, sin and God will be “all in all.” When Jesus comes again, there will be no more need even for the “church”, priests, and sacraments as we know them because these are here only for us in this life to lead us towards salvation.

The first reading from Isaiah points us in this direction when speaking about the redemption of Israel: “For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection.” In the Gospel, the healing of the centurion’s servant foreshadows the spiritual healing we receive through the Resurrection of Jesus and his Second Coming. Incredibly enough we can also request that for one another as the centurion intercedes on behalf of another who is not able to approach Jesus directly.

During this Advent, we are called to live completely in the “now”, striving for a life of personal holiness and helping to build the kingdom by serving God’s people. However, we are always leaning towards the future and the promises of God’s salvation in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and we can pray and intercede for our loved ones and really the entire human race to share in this Glory of God!

Fr. Bryan Dolejsi Chapl ain

November 29

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 11:1-10 Gospel – Luke 10:21-24

Today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke praises God for revealing his truths to the “childlike” with him commending his disciples for truly seeing God in their lives. One of the many challenges we face as servants of God is the calling for us to always see God in our daily lives.

I will never forget the challenges I faced as a first-year teacher in an inner-city under-resourced Catholic grade school in Los Angeles. Many of the students I taught came from low-income single-parent households.

Inevitably, their socioeconomic background impacted their academic achievement. The majority of the students I taught read and wrote at below-grade level standards.

One morning, one of my students looked up to me and asked, “Are you happy, Mr. C?” “I am happy,” I replied, a bit puzzled. “Why do you keep on asking me if I’m happy?” “Because you’re not smiling,” she responded.

“But I’m smiling right now.” She looked at me playfully and declared, “No, I mean you don’t have that big smile. The real one.” Finally, I laughed, and could not help but smile, because it was once again an example of how students like Alexa challenged me to live with the purpose and enthusiasm that I was hoping to instill in them.

I share this story because this small exchange with Alexa challenged me to be “childlike.” For that one small moment, all of Alexa’s struggles, and all of my struggles, simply did not matter. Christ was right in front of both of us – Alexa saw Him, and all I needed was a little encouragement. Seeing God in all things is often difficult, especially when we are desperately seeking her out. Yet, there are moments, even in the mundane, even in a little conversation, where God is present, we just may need some small words of encouragement to be able to see her.

Kevin Cacabelos

Social Studies Teacher

Erin Neal, Grade 12

Mason Ross, Grade 9

November 30

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle First Reading – Romans 10:9-18 Gospel – Matthew 4:18-22

Happy Feast of St. Andrew! While St. Andrew only makes brief appearances throughout the Gospels, he plays a very important role.

St. Andrew is actually the man who introduced St. Peter to Jesus. It is Andrew who comes to Peter and says, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41).

In today’s Gospel, Andrew is fishing with his brother Simon (Peter) when the Lord calls out to them, “Follow me.” Notice the response of Andrew and Peter. Jesus invites them to follow Him and they immediately leave their nets and follow. The disciples do not hear the Lord’s voice and then make excuses, they drop everything, all that they know, their entire livelihood and follow the Lord.

When Jesus extends the same invitation to us, how do we respond?

Let us pray with St. Andrew this Advent season that we might be ready to follow the Lord when He calls us.

St. Andrew Christmas Novena Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.

In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother.

Amen.

Beginning on St. Andrew the Apostle’s feast day, November 30, this beautiful prayer is traditionally recited fifteen times a day until Christmas. This is a very meditative prayer that helps us increase our awareness of the real focus of Christmas and helps us prepare ourselves spiritually for His coming.

Joe Skillman

Science Teacher

December 1

Thursday of the First Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 26:1-6 Gospel – Matthew 7:21, 24-27

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven’” (Matthew 7:21).

Just before he spoke these words to his disciples, Jesus had warned them to be wary of false prophets. Those wolves in sheep’s clothing will speak as if they follow Christ, but their actions will reveal that they are actually against him. In this passage, Matthew reminds us that how we live must reflect the truths of our Christian beliefs. Words matter, and they should correspond to outward realities.

Think, for example, about the meaning of Jesus’s name: “God saves.”

Jesus’s very name reminds us of the fact that through his sacrificial death on the cross he offers us liberation from our sins and that through his resurrection he invites us to enjoy life with him in heaven. In the 1400s, St. John of Capistrano carried a monogram of the holy name of Jesus on his travels throughout Italy. After preaching, he would bless the faithful with the monogram, and many who were sick were healed of their afflictions. These miracles were outward, tangible signs of the reality of Jesus’s name, for they demonstrated that Jesus’s saving action does not remain relegated to the past; rather, it overflows into the present.

Consider meditating on the holy name and its meaning during this Advent Season. Thank God for the ways in which he has manifested his saving action in your life, and invite his healing to touch the areas of your life that are broken. But do so earnestly, for as Jesus taught, saying ‘Lord, Lord’ alone is insufficient; you must proclaim his name willfully and with your whole heart.

Stephen Barbarossa ‘09

Math and Theology Teacher

December 2

Friday of the First Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 29:17-24 Gospel – Matthew 9:27-31

“…And out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.”

We live in an age of incredible unrest and commotion. Anxiety often takes over in our daily life. Lack of peace perseveres. This tendency is common in both our secular life and spiritual life. What we need to remember is ever present in today’s first reading. “Out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see… For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will have gone.”

But what must we do to overcome despair and distress? Exactly what the Lord tells us in today’s Responsorial Psalm, to keep our eyes on the ultimate prize: “To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple.” Often times we forget that this is a journey, not the end game. Jesus always forgives the true repentant. The end game will be decided by the journey and really the only thing we need to do is keep Jesus in view at all times. Sounds simple enough, but abandoning ourselves to his loving embrace is often compromised by greed and selfishness.

As our past parish priest always says, we must remember that God is good ALL OF THE TIME, and all the good we can do comes from God. We often have to experience failure and humiliation to understand this truth. To have the ultimate faith like the blind men who followed Jesus in today’s Gospel is the key. “Then he touched their eyes and said ‘let it be done for you according to your faith’.

Peggy Cunningham Executive Assistant

December 3

Saturday of the First Week of Advent Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier , Priest First Reading – Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 This summer I was blessed with the opportunity to attend World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland with close to 2 million other Catholics from 185 different countries (including Pope Francis). It was an incredible and life-impacting experience; I encountered Christ and community on a level I have never experienced before.

We had the opportunity to celebrate Mass in front of the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The tiny chapel was packed full of thousands of people, standing room only. It was hot, there was no air, no seats, we all smelled from a day of traveling; and yet it was one of the most powerful masses I’ve even been part of.

At communion time, the priests had to force their way through the crowd to get to their loosely assigned location. And then slowly, the movement of people began as they physically forced their way to and from the priests. When I noticed that there was not a priest close to our area, my anxiety began to rise as I realized that we may not be able to receive the Eucharist. What if they leave before we get to the priest? What if I can’t fight my way to communion?

What if I can’t reach my hands into the mob of people to receive Christ?

I’ve never in my life felt so desperate to receive communion before. Because I have never had to fight my way to Christ before. It was an overwhelming desperation and an overwhelming relief when the host, when Christ, was placed into my hands.

Our first reading from Isaiah reminded me of this encounter with the living God. “The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst.” Every time we celebrate Mass we are blessed with the ability to receive the bread we need for which we hunger. And thankfully, every day He guides our path, “This is the way; walk in it”; we just need to be open to his directions through the chaotic mob.

Kelsey Harrington

Theology Teacher , Campus Minister

Erik Eykel, Grade 10

December 4

Second Sunday of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 11:1-10 Second Reading – Romans 15:4-9 Gospel – Matthew 3:1-12

Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Every year as fall begins to turn into winter, my children begin to think about Christmas. When I was a child my mom used to tell us to close our eyes as we would walk through the grocery store or mall because the Christmas decorations would be up before Thanksgiving. I didn’t realize that this was my mom’s way of getting us to prepare during Advent until I had my own children. I have continued that “shut your eyes” statement with my own children as the Christmas decorations have gone up earlier and earlier.

I feel like Advent is a true preparation time for the birth of Jesus. It is preparing the way of the Lord, making straight the paths so that all flesh shall see the salvation of God, just as the Gospel acclamation says.

It is our job as Catholics preparing for Jesus’s birth to prepare the way through Advent for the celebration that is Christmas. It is our job to pray and reflect on what it means to be a follower of Christ. Throughout the Advent season, we are “closing our eyes” and preparing for the Christmas.

My challenge to you is that you close your eyes daily and reflect on one thing each day that will ensure you prepare the way of the Lord, as we head into the final weeks of Advent.

Katie Burns ’90

Activities Coordinator

December 5

Monday of the Second Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 35:1-10 Gospel – Luke 5:17-26

“Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!

Here is your God…” (Isaiah 35:4) As I sit here reflecting on these words from today’s first reading, I am thinking of our recent election season. A central theme of this presidential campaign was FEAR… each candidate predicting that if his/her opponent wins, the country would be doomed. Many voters bought into this message of fear and their hearts were frightened. Even now that the election is decided, this fear may persist.

We may believe that there are legitimate reasons for our fears. Yet Isaiah’s words counsel us: “Be strong, fear not!” And what evidence does Isaiah offer that we do not need to be afraid? “Here is your God.” I learned a long time ago (and am still learning) that control is an illusion. Each day is a gift filled with opportunities for growth and the one constant is “Here is your God.” Later in today’s passage from Isaiah, we hear, “It is for those with a journey to make” (Isaiah 35:9). And who are those with a journey to make?

It is each of us, and it is a day-by-day journey. The key is that I do not make this journey alone, nor do you. “Here is your God,” journeying with you.

According to Scripture scholar, Felix Just, S.J., the most commonly repeated phrase in the whole Bible, in the Old Testament and the New Testament, is “Have no fear!” or “Do not be afraid!” One of my favorite quotes is, “Fear and faith cannot occupy the same space.” I invite each of us today to present our fears to God and then to let them go, having faith that God walks with each of us on the journey of today so that we are able to “be strong and fear not.”

Judith McDonald

Kennedy Catholic Facult y 1981-2015

Markie Goniu, Grade 12

December 6

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 40:1-11 Gospel – Matthew 18:12-14

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, we hear the story of the man with 100 sheep who leaves 99 behind to search for the one who has gone astray.

When he finds the one who is missing, he is happier about the one who is found than the 99 who were never lost.

This beautiful parable demonstrates Christ’s incredible love for each one of us. He never wants any of us, even the greatest of sinners, to perish- or even to be in danger. So, He is willing to risk everything to save (or find) each one of us. This is exactly why God came to us in Jesus, the Immanuel, on Christmas day. He left the safety of Heaven to find the lost one, to find you and me. God, in turn, now looks to us, and asks us to find the others who are lost among us.

The season of Advent is a blessing. It is the perfect time to remind ourselves of this incredible task God has given each of us. May we use these days leading up to his birth wisely. May we focus on compassion and love for those who are lost. And may we bring others home to God and to all that is good.

Amy Hall

Strategic Program Pl anner , Advancement

December 7

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church First Reading – Isaiah 40:25-31 Gospel – Matthew 11:28-30

My mom is 83, healthy, and living her life seeking God. When I was 17 my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (He had just turned 50).

At the time, I had never heard of this and didn’t think too much about his future. To me, he was just Dad and I was a teenager excited about college and my life. What I didn’t know at the time was that he would live 31 years longer (15 years longer than predicted). He was able to meet all of his grandchildren and even a great-grandchild. He lived a full life, though one not without struggles. In chapter 40 of Isaiah we are asked to hope in the Lord. The result of this hope is the strength of eagles’ wings. It’s running without growing weary and walking without fainting. This sense of hope lived in my dad and continues to live in my mom. From day one of the illness they both sought the Lord and hoped in miracles. We did have some miracles – new effective medication, a successful surgery, my sister finding a job in our hometown, support from friends and family, and of course a long life. During these 31 years all of us, but especially my mom and dad, experienced exhaustion. Time and again they would come to the Lord and renew their strength.

When I feel overwhelmed and exhausted with parenting, work, health issues, loss, finances…, I reflect upon my parents and their first response to seek the Lord for His strength. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said to the crowds, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.”

Take a moment to reflect upon God’s character and meditate upon his word.

Let your mind and body relax and rest believing that God will renew your strength and fill you with hope.

Nancy Montstream Counselor

December 8

Thursday of the Second Week of Advent Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary First Reading – Genesis 3:9-15, 20

“He chose us in him before the foundation of the world… so that we might exist for the praise of his glory” When I was young I loved to do that trick with two mirrors where I had them face each other and position them in such a way so that it would look like there was an infinite amount of the same image. Sometimes I would put myself in between the two mirrors, and at other times, my beloved objects.

Once in a while, I would take it to the next level and shine a flashlight into those two mirrors. The room would be surrounded by dazzling light.

In the reading from Ephesians, St. Paul tells us that we were made to be reflections of God’s beautiful and amazing light. That we might “exist for the praise of His glory.” Somehow, our lives are mirror reflections of God’s infinite love and mercy. That through our everyday interactions we can bear the light of God’s praise and glory into the world. We aren’t here to merely exist; we are called to so much more!

God loves us so much that he chose us to be his ambassadors. He chose us to represent him on earth. He chose us to reflect his light. What a privilege and gift. We are called by name to be the bearers of his glory to the world.

Mary was chosen before the foundation of the world to be the bearer of God’s very being on this earth. She exists for the praise of his glory. We too were chosen before all things to be a reflection of God’s love. On this feast of the Immaculate Conception may our faith be strengthened and our lives reflect God’s praise and glory.

Aires Patulot

Theology Teacher , Campus Minister

December 9

Friday of the Second Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 48:17-19 Gospel – Matthew 11:16-19

Today’s readings are all about listening to what God is saying to us.

When I think of Advent, listening is not the first thing that comes to my mind.

I think of a time of making preparations. I’m busy preparing my home by making cookies, decorating the house, and buying presents. But today’s readings remind me that my first step in preparing my heart should not be doing. Rather, the first step before I do anything, should be really and truly listening to the message of God. In fact, in today’s Gospel Jesus rebukes the crowds for not listening. He compares them to little children whining to their playmates: “We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.” Because they were so busy complaining they did not hear God’s message. They missed the message of God in the fasting and austerity of John the Baptist and they missed the message of God in the loving mercy of Jesus Christ. How many times have we missed the message of God because we didn’t take the time to stop and listen? How many times have we rejected what God was saying to us through the people and situations in our lives? How many times did we push away something that we just didn’t want to hear? In preparing our hearts, it is important that we really try to listen and receive the message that Jesus leaves for each of us: how to live out and bring to life the Kingdom. In the first reading from Isaiah we hear what will happen if we remain faithful to the message of God. Our “prosperity will be like a river” continually flowing and our integrity strong “like the waves of the sea.” This Advent let us make time to listen and truly hear, accept, and incorporate the Gospel message into our daily lives.

Clare Ettensohn

Communit y Service Coordinator , Campus Minister

Sining (Lucy) Lu, Grade 10

December 10

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent First Reading – Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11 Gospel – Matthew 17:9A, 10-13

This coming Sunday, Gaudate Sunday (Rejoice Sunday), is the day families typically gather together to set their manger scenes and decorate their homes for Christmas. As a small child this was one of my favorite traditions, coming home from Mass knowing we are so close and therefore we must re-energize our gaze. Mary and Joseph were on a journey, this advent, we too are on a special journey of our own.

Are our hearts ready? Are we prepared?

The truth of the matter is that we are not really preparing our homes, even though Christmas music has been playing on the radio for months, but our hearts to receive the Lord. In today’s Gospel, it is the Apostles who recognize Christ as the one the prophets pointed to, the one we are preparing to receive. Venerable Fulton Sheen used to say, “The amount of time we spend decorating our homes and buying gifts … that should be the same or greater for our hearts to encounter the Risen Lord in the Eucharist of the Church.” Purge out the self-absorbed egotism and embrace a life of selfless charity which will help you stay on task.

That is what Advent prepares us to do.

Our Catholic faith doesn’t make us spectators in the arena of life, rather, with God’s grace in the sacraments of the Church, we are called and encouraged to set the world on fire with His love; a love that is selfless, authentic, and genuine. This is what the Prophet Elijah saw as the hope for Israel, this is the hope the Apostles saw in Christ’s Resurrection, this is what the Advent Season is all about! Let us be challenged to do something different starting at home with our families. Run to the Sacraments together and be filled with his abundant grace, be active in the love of God and neighbor, and spend time preparing your hearts! You are not alone - we are surrounded with all the angels and the saints who accompany you on your journey! May the encounter we have with the Risen Lord during this Advent Season encourage you to grow in holiness… Mary, Mother of our Lord and the Church, Pray for us!

Dario Mobini

Theology Teacher

December 11

Third Sunday of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 35:1-6A, 10 Second Reading – James 5:7-10

Today, December 11, we observe the Third Sunday of Advent. Anticipation is building, time is getting short and soon our joy will be realized with the birth of Christ, Jesus. The third Sunday is about waiting – hoping and wishing for time to go quickly so Christmas will come. The impatience of waiting for something special, and wanting it to arrive immediately.

Advent is the season of waiting, of hoping, and of wishing. It is about the desire to be assured that God does indeed love us and that God is guiding our lives and the future. What must have it been like for John the Baptist wondering if Jesus was indeed the one? Something special was coming.

“Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?”

Isn’t this the question at the heart of our faith?

It is easy to place limits on our willingness to allow Christ Jesus to have an impact in our hearts during the blessed season of Advent. It is easy to question where God and Jesus are in our lives. It takes time, effort, training, formation and will to see God at work in everyday life – and to allow Him to work in our own. Faith is a choice we make daily. What impact does faith have on your life as a spouse, a parent, a friend, an employee, or a volunteer?

Do you see the hand of God in your life today? How can you make room for the birth of Jesus – and the opportunity to be a true believer?

What are you waiting for?

Advent teaches us to live with patient expectation – be watchful, joyful, faithful and do not lose hope.

Sarah Dahleen

Director of Advancement

Yi (Alex) Lu, Grade 9

December 12

Monday of the Third Week of Advent Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe First Reading – Zechariah 2:14-17 Gospel – Luke 1:26-38

Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. For many, it is a day to honor Our Lady and to reflect on the gift of mothers around the world.

It’s tricky being a mom. Mothers want to see their children grow and blossom into competent, compassionate adults. The struggle from birth to adult in this era can be a challenge. Pause, take some deep breaths. Return to childhood. Recall some funny and challenging life events. Take time today to call your mom and thank her for giving you life; for the daily care she gives to you. If you can’t call in person, look to your heart and feel her presence. Our Lady is always here in the quiet of prayer.

Teri Crosswhite

International Program Director

December 13

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr First Reading – Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 Gospel – Matthew 21:28-32

Lucia Daggan My family is from Sweden. On December 13 each year we celebrate Lucia Day. The day begins very early in the morning of December 13. The eldest girl in the family (she is the Lucia Bride) prepares and serves a breakfast to the family before dawn. She is dressed in a white gown with a red sash and a wreath of candles on her head. She leads a procession of her brothers and sisters as “star children” with the tray of coffee and rolls to the parents’ bedroom where they will have breakfast. At some point the story of Lucia (St. Lucy) is related.

The story takes place in a village on Lake Varnan in central Sweden.

The story goes: one year, long ago, the village was in the throes of a famine.

The people have used up all of their firewood and food. They were waiting to die. Before dawn on the morning of December 13 the people heard music coming from the lake. They were sure death was upon them. Upon rising and looking out they saw a large ship ablaze with light on the lake.

At the helm was St. Lucy. She was bringing a load of firewood and food to save the villagers.

Now every year on December 13 we celebrate her life and miracle with the “Lucia” ceremony.

Linda Simmons

Science Teacher

December 14

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church First Reading – Isaiah 45:6C-8, 18, 21C-25 Gospel – Luke 7:18B-23

In the Gospel, John the Baptist sends a couple of his disciples to ask Jesus if he’s the savior they had been waiting for, or should they be looking for someone else? Jesus, the one and only, the Great I Am, was being questioned. It wasn’t meant to be mean or disrespectful, it was just seeking clarity. Jesus did what any good teacher would do, he asked them to analyze the evidence and come to their own conclusion. He recounted that he had healed the lepers and the lame, made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, raised the dead and imparted some good lessons to the people.

He told the men to take this information to John.

In a high school, you could imagine what was said. John would ask what Jesus said and his friends would repeat the information. John would try to nail down the answer…. “Did he say he was The One?”. His friends would look at each other and not have a solid answer. There would be a discussion and, hopefully, they would come to the conclusion that, in fact, Jesus was The One. Things haven’t changed much since the times of John and Jesus. When we are troubled in life, we start looking for assurance, but where shall we go?

Can we fill it with the newest fashions? Is the next video game going to seal the deal? Are drugs and alcohol the answer? Each is alluring in its own way, but, if we just look at the evidence, look at what Jesus has done for us, the answer is right there. Don’t look past Jesus for another answer, but, instead, look towards him to find peace.

Annette Konkell-Griffith ‘86

International Admissions Director

Joshua Zielinski

Kennedy Catholic Freshman

December 15

Thursday of the Third Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 54:1-10 Gospel – Luke 7:24-30

Have you ever put up a tent? My family has an eight-person tent but there are only five of us. It takes all of us to get it set up for the night and it is not quick. However, it is sturdy. Two years ago we were camping outside Glacier National Park during an epic thunder and lightning storm. My kids slept through the entire storm while my husband and I screamed to hear each other’s ideas on how to stay alive with the lightning hitting just below the campsite! I really thought we weren’t going to make it so blessed my children and said a prayer asking God to make it swift. Obviously we made it out unscathed and we credit our faith and our awesome eight-person tent. It held up miraculously even though it was battered by unceasing wind and rain in the mountain storm. Isaiah might well relate to this tent story as he tells the Israelites in the first reading today...

Enlarge the space for your tent, spread out your tent cloths unsparingly; lengthen your ropes and make firm your stakes.

For you shall spread abroad to the right and to the left; your descendants shall dispossess the nations and shall people the desolate cities... Fear not!

This is God’s promise to us. Trust and boldly go forth proclaiming your love of God and expanding the tent that is our faith. There is room for all of us.

We just have to trust that The Tent will hold us up in times of trial and fear.

Jenny Farrell ’92

Director of Campus Ministry, Theology Teacher

Ryan Hinton, Grade 12

December 16

Friday of the Third Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 56:1-3A, 6-8 Gospel – John 5:33-36

An ancient interpretation of the Good Samaritan parable sees it as an allegory for Jesus’ Incarnation and the depths of God’s love. Like the Samaritan, the unexpected savior, the glorious Son of God humbles himself to take on human flesh and redeem us. But Jesus also calls us to help in his ministry by entrusting people to our care, like the Samaritan entrusted the victim to the Innkeeper. Here we see a pattern of God’s love. It is always his initiative that first brings us into relationship with him. God goes out to meet us and then we respond. Our first reading today captures this beautifully.

God will bring us to his holy mountain and make us joyful in his house of prayer. He will go out to “gather the dispersed.” But he does not stop with us. God also calls us, as the innkeepers, to care for his people and bring others into relationship with him. This is the New Evangelization: going out to seek those who have strayed and bringing them the Gospel – the Good News – of Christ’s love. We are now well into our Advent journey. This is not our first time and we still may be wondering how to prepare our hearts for Jesus’s birth. Perhaps we are being called to prepare ourselves by preparing others. We all know people who have wandered away from their faith or who have never really had a friendship with Christ. Let us take some time in this next week before Christmas to invite someone back to God. Ask someone how his prayer life is going. Tell someone who is struggling in faith we are praying for her. Maybe even let someone know we would like to see him at church again. And when we do this, we will truly help God make his house “a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Michael Barbarossa ‘14

December 17

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent First Reading – Genesis 49:2, 8-10 Gospel – Matthew 1:1-17

I have a family tree at home that I wish extended farther back than it did.

I know one root goes back to a part of Sicily, another to an impoverished county in Ireland, and another couple that might run through some Native American and Welsh blood. This family tree helps to show where I come from – how God guided creation with power and love all the way down to the minutest detail of the person called Louis Cunningham.

For Matthew, genealogy is important, not only because he’s showing Jesus’ roots firmly as from the line of Judah and David, but also to show that Emmanuel does not come from a clean and crisp line of perfection, but from a people God has peculiarly called to Himself. In Matthew’s genealogy, he mentions the names of some particular Gentiles. To the Jewish reader, these unsavory mentions recall that not everything in Jewish history was perfect – David’s wife being a prime example. Rather than these imperfections being a mark of shame, they remind us that God always responds to humanity’s own pettiness with a promise: a promise to draw us back to him, not in spite of our sin, but by redeeming it. O happy fault, which brought forth such a Savior!

Today begins the “octave”, the eight days, before Christmas.

From today until Christmas Eve we hear a different and unique title for Christ at the Alleluia proclamation during Mass and during the Church’s Evening Prayer called the O Antiphons. Perhaps you know them from the song O Come, O Come Emmanuel! Today’s verse is “O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge.”

God does not seek ‘clean’ things. He guides with power and love; from here to Christmas perhaps we try to search the depths of his knowledge to see where He desires to infuse his power and love in even the deepest roots of our life.

Louis Cunningham ’10

Seminarian, Archdiocese of Seattle

Julia Miller, Grade 12

December 18

Fourth Sunday of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 7:10-14 Second Reading – Romans 1:1-7 Gospel – Matthew 1:18-24

Advent is God saying to the world, “I’m going to give you something to look forward to that will change everything.” In Revelation God says, “Behold, I make all things new. There will no longer be any death, any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

If ever there was a time for hope in the vicious wake of mass shootings, the impending crisis of climate deterioration, the unrest of angry people in the face of injustice, we most certainly live in that time.

What a difference this baby of Mary’s makes -- how his mere presence in the world gives us hope that life is sweet and needs to be cared for and that whatever evils exist in the world, this infant to be born on Christmas Day has come to put an end to them once and for all. Once again Advent bestows an invitation to us all to refresh our faith and hearken to Gabriel’s first words to the lowly dumbfounded shepherds in the field, “Do not be afraid for I bring good news to all the people …”

In the face of terrors real and imagined, Advent is a surprise party, a profound encouragement, and an everlasting reassurance. As certain as the sun in this morning’s sky, Jesus’ coming gives us hope that we have nothing to fear. He will take care of us. The impending fulfillment of all the prophecies about a Messiah thrills every believer to his fingertips.

This sacred mystery of Incarnation is incomprehensible, yet it stirs within us great excitement and wonder.

Father, as the cycle of sacrifice begins once more, give us a richer understanding of this astounding event. You love us so much.

Thank you for the gift of your Son.

Steve Lequire

Kennedy Catholic Facult y 1972 – 2012

December 19

Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent First Reading – Judges 13:2-7, 24-25A Gospel – Luke 1:5-25 Shortly after retiring from the Kennedy Catholic staff in 2015, I was blessed to be able to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with my wife, Margie. One of the most intriguing sights for us was the surprising landscape as we travelled up to Jerusalem – beautifully wooded and mountainous. In this very area was the Old Testament village of Zorah, the town in today’s scripture. This reading joins in my heart with the many bible stories that now have special meaning, having had the privilege of walking on that sacred ground.

As we contemplate this first reading from the Old Testament, we are struck with the familiar sound of the story. An “Angel of the Lord” is visiting a couple, announcing that they will soon “conceive and bear a son.” But it is not Mary and Joseph, and not even Elizabeth and Zechariah. It is Manoah and his wife, whose story dates back to about 1100 BC, and yet still resonates with us some three thousand years later.

The angel tells Manoah’s wife that while pregnant she must be careful “to take no wine or strong drink,” and that “no razor shall touch” the baby’s head. Strange as they sound, we previously hear these directions in the Book of Numbers, Chapter Six, which detail the vow of the Nazarite. When under that vow, people regarded themselves as specially devoted to God. The difference in this case is that the vow was not a temporary stance; this baby was to live under the vow his entire life.

It is easy to draw other parallels between the “special devotion” of this child with the other more well-known angelically foretold infants, John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. They of course will naturally fall in line with lifelong special devotion. The bigger question for us is, do we? Do we regard ourselves and our family as “specially devoted to God?” How can we move toward that holy state? Certainly the disciplines of Advent – almsgiving, fasting, and prayer – can lead us toward that goal, but perhaps we should look back at that infant son born in Zorah, for whom “no razor shall touch his head.”

His name was Samson.

Jim Paynton

Kennedy Catholic Facult y 1979-2015

December 20

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent First Reading – Isaiah 7:10-14 Gospel – Luke 1:26-38

What immediately comes to mind when reading and reflecting on these passages is the humility implicit in the various responses to the Lord.

Scripture says “the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” Ahaz was facing war and yet, in spite of his fear, he responds in humility when confronted with his wavering faith.

And, interestingly, what appears as reprimand from Isaiah, ends with the gracious promise of a Messiah; the ultimate example of God’s faithfulness to us. Yet, how easily we forget…

How do we respond when confronted with our own doubts and wavering faith? Do we humble ourselves in the presence of a holy and righteous God, trusting in His ultimate plan for our lives OR do we fight for control, attempting to solve unsolvable problems and overcome insurmountable odds, in our own strength, to bring glory to ourselves? It’s so easy to “lean on our own understanding” and yet, God allows challenges of our faith in anticipation of a faithful and humble response. He, in turn, responds by demonstrating His glory through us, as He ushers us through whatever challenge we humbly lay at His feet.

Or we can read of the angel Gabriel delivering to Mary, the good news of the future hope she would literally carry and deliver to all the world… She didn’t respond as so many of us do to His call for our lives: “I’m not worthy” “I’m not strong enough” “I don’t have the ability to” and even as bold as “I won’t go”. Rather, Mary responds in humility with “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

In other words, “Thy will be done.” How many times do we recite that line with our mouth, as our lives say loud and clear “My will be done”?

Perry Sampley

Vice Principal of Campus Life

December 21

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent First Reading – Song of Songs 2:8-14 Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 Gospel – Luke 1:39-45

Today’s Responsorial psalm reminds believers of three major components of Catholicism: giving thanks, trusting the Lord, and awaiting His coming.

Especially in this Advent season, it is important to recall these pillars and use them to strengthen our relationship with God. In my reading of the first passage, I feel compelled to pray to the Lord in thanksgiving for the blessings in my life. It is easy to forget to thank Him when life is busy and full of stress; however, as Catholics, we are reminded to continually show our appreciation to the one who provides to us, and this psalm prompts us to do so.

The following passage confirms to listeners the plans God has set out for us.

Personally, I find myself doubting my faith in God when I feel overwhelmed with homework and other activities; however, I am comforted by words like these reaffirming God’s plan for his chosen people. I find peace each time I overcome struggles with God’s grace, and witness the power of the Holy Spirit in times when seemingly impossible problems in my life are solved.

Finally, the third passage serves as a message of hope for the future, expressing the importance of waiting for our time with the Lord. God resides in our hearts and supports our souls, so we must trust in him for protection and guidance. In hardships, we can look to Him for assistance in anticipation of our arrival into His kingdom.

This psalm speaks to me because it reminds me of some of the most integral aspects of my faith. Through its words, I find joy and am relieved of the stress and chaos of everyday life. Its strong message of faith inspires me to not only thank God, but also to live out these practices each day to exemplify the teachings and lessons of Catholicism as a believer in Christ.

Danielle Peretti

Kennedy Catholic Senior

Sloane Woodcock, Grade 12

December 22

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent First Reading – 1 Samuel 1:24-28 Gospel – Luke 1:46-56

When praying and requesting from God, it’s important to pay homage to Him with gratitude. We give ourselves to the Lord and He is present in all of our toils and struggles; He never leaves us alone and, like Hannah, we should exalt in His presence and gifts through personal praise. Our Lord is like a rock—strong and firm. We must sing His praises and magnify His name. By doing so, we live prosperous lives and commit to doing good in the world. Such glory in good.

Mary’s desire to serve the Lord is a gentle reminder to us to remember our purpose to honor God because He has done great for us. Mercy comes to those who fear God and thus we live in respectful admiration to Him. As we serve others and look to better our world, we must remember our commitment to the Lord and His mercy.

Thus, as we traverse the toils and stress of our everyday lives, remember the power and grace God has shown us and lean on Him in difficult times…

His love for us is a rock that won’t be moved.

David Vinson

English Teacher

December 23

Friday of the Fourth Week of Advent First Reading – Mal achi 3:1-4, 23-24 Gospel – Luke 1:57-66 “Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me.” Malachi 3:1 In 1823, Clement Clark Moore wrote a poem titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”

He stated, “The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.” Thus began the American tradition of hanging Christmas stockings on the fireplace mantel. But this practice did not begin in America.

The traditional Christmas stocking legend describes the generosity of St. Nicholas, who wanted to give without being recognized in return.

In the early 300s A.D., St. Nicholas, who was wealthy, was traveling through a village in what is now Turkey. He heard about an impoverished widower worried that his three daughters would be unable to marry due to their lack of a dowry. So one night, St. Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the family’s chimney. It landed in a freshly laundered stocking, which had been placed by the fireplace to dry. So the oldest daughter married. Another bag of gold later arrived, allowing the second daughter to marry. When the third daughter was to marry, her father caught St. Nicholas in the act of dropping the gold down the chimney. The word got out. Thereafter, any mysterious gift was attributed to St. Nicholas.

The orange fruit Americans place in the toe of a Christmas stocking is said to represent the bag of gold left by St. Nicholas. Before 1950 or so, oranges were hard to come by, so they were considered to be a special gift.

Because St. Nicholas’ Day is December 6, it became traditional to exchange gifts on the eve of St. Nicholas. People in many European countries still leave out stockings—or shoes—on December 5, hoping for a gift from St. Nicholas.

During the 1600s, the giver of gifts gradually changed from St. Nicholas to the Christ Child, so the day to put out a stocking and exchange gifts moved to Christmas Eve. As St. Nicholas exclaims in Moore’s poem, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”

Melanie Batt

Social Studies Teacher

December 24

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Advent First Reading – 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16 Gospel – Luke 1:67-79

Christmas Eve has arrived and we are impatient for the arrival of our Lord and Savior. Just one more sleep and we celebrate His birth. There is a special message for us in Luke’s gospel today. We are reminded that not only will Jesus be born in fulfillment of prophecy, but we are reminded why He is sent to us.

It is easy to become distracted by the secular nature of the Christmas holiday. We are bombarded by commercials advertising the newest and greatest gifts, ads that make us yearn for family and home cooking.

Is your shopping finished? Wrapping done? Is your crèche set up – is baby Jesus already set in place? Have you finished baking? All your travel plans made? Christmas cards mailed? How many peppermint mochas have you had to get in the spirit of the holiday? Are your kids tired of listening to Christmas music in the car? Have you watched the classic holiday films and cartoons? Lots to do…

We see countdowns of shopping days left until Christmas – but where is the countdown calendar for salvation? That is the message of the Gospel today, a reminder that God is giving us His only son. Jesus is being sent for our redemption through the forgiveness of sins. He is offering eternal life – now that is the greatest gift of all. “…to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:77-79 Merry Christmas and may the Peace of the Season be with you, today and throughout the year.

Nancy Bradish Principal

Minh Nguyen, Grade 9

Christina Winters, Grade 11

Kennedy Catholic High School 140 S. 140th Street Burien, WA 98168 www.kennedyhs.org 206.246.0500

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