A Spiritual Treasure Hunt

We have entered the Advent Season! A time of waiting as we prepare to celebrate the first coming of our Savior Jesus Christ and renew our “ardent desire for His second coming” [CCC 524]. A precious time that tends to be overshadowed by the busyness of life.

Instead of hustling and bustling for the best sale, let’s stop what we are doing. Sit down, take a deep breath, and exhale—ah, quiet time. Then let’s use our quiet time to see what gifts we can find when we read the Bible verses for each day of Advent. I liken it to a spiritual treasure hunt.

We find those heavenly gifts when we meditate on how the Bible readings relate and enrich us in our daily lives. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, meditating on what we read helps us to make it our own [CCC 2706]. Doing so enhances our personal one-to-one relationship with our Lord.

For example, one of the readings in the first Sunday of Advent talks about putting on an armor of light [Romans 13:11–14]. When we put on that armor of light, how does it brighten our day and how do we share the light with those around us? Do we feel our Lord’s embrace?

Journey of Discovery

Our spiritual treasure hunt truly is a journey of discovery. Each day with each Bible reading presents a new opportunity to discover our Lord’s gifts and deepen our connection with our salvation. Every reading invites us to listen attentively to the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit, letting Scripture illuminate our path with an armor of light and inspire our actions.

Every discovery encourages us to open our hearts, embrace the mystery of faith, and recognize the small miracles woven into the fabric of our daily lives. By remaining receptive and responsive, we discover movements that stir in our hearts as we ask: “Lord, what do you want me to do?” [CCC 2706].

The answer may be simpler than we realize. Our Lord wants us to use His gifts and graces to help one another. Even in the smallest acts of kindness and quiet reflections, God is at work within us.

The Greatest Gift

Truly, God our Father bestows upon us many spiritual treasures. The greatest of these is the gift that keeps on giving for the sake of our salvation—Jesus Christ. To receive God’s gift of love—to welcome Jesus into our hearts—we say yes. As Mary said: “May it be done to me according to your word” [Luke 1:38].

Like Mary, not only do we receive God’s love in Christ, we also become vessels of this love. “The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us” [Romans 5:5]. We then pour out the love of God by encouraging, comforting, and uplifting those around us.

In other words, when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our steps, we shine the light of Christ into a world longing for hope and joy. In doing so, we trust that Heaven’s grace will continue to transform us and those we encounter in our daily lives. Our personal relationship with Jesus strengthens as we follow His path to redemption and grow in God’s love. In our quiet time, prompted by the Holy Spirit, may we remember to give thanks during Advent. Amen!