The H building fishbowl at the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria brought together students, teachers, and staff for a reflection on the meaning of Advent and the miracle of Christmas, led by Fr. Justo Gómez, LC, and Fr. Javier Oseguera, LC. This gathering coincided, moreover, with the forgiveness celebration at UFV, during which university priests were available for confessions from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The talk focused on the encounter expected during Advent, culminating in Christmas, from two perspectives: God’s towards man and man’s towards God. Fr. Oseguera, who was responsible for presenting the first part, clarified that both should be seen “as a revelation of love because both parts are necessary and cherished,” to which Fr. Justo added a call to pause in routine life to enjoy the reality and meaning of these dates.
Fr. Oseguera: “God is the first interested in this encounter happening; He takes the first step”
This is how the legionary began his speech, which then grounded itself in man, conveying God’s patient expectation through the gaze and listening of each individual. “The aim is to look into and penetrate the heart of Christ and see what that heart wants to say in this liturgical time, of waiting for the encounter that God leads us to every day, especially during these dates.”
He emphasized this point by recalling that God’s feeling is inherited from the Israelites who cried out in Egypt, and he stressed that today’s man shares a common trait with them: suffering. At this point, the priest affirmed, Christ wants to enter the heart to transform it and lead it to the happiness to which He has called it.
“God’s perspective begins with knowing that there is a suffering heart, and God is not indifferent to daily suffering.” He also explained that God listened with compassion to His enslaved people in Egypt just as He does today, because “even if we do not know how to turn to Him, He knows that we need that love.”
Fr. Justo: “Mary’s faith is knowing she is in that gift and responding generously to that gift”
The perspective of the human being in response to God’s call is the issue Fr. Justo addressed, who recalled that the best example of how to live these days and the coming ones is the Virgin Mary, who is a testimony of joyful acceptance of the message. “Mary’s faith is knowing she is in that gift and responding generously to that gift, recognizing God despite life’s doubts,” he pointed out.
To this end, the priest explained a series of attitudes he believes are necessary to prepare for that moment: interiority, silence, prayer, humility, and joy. He recommended that to live Christmas, ‘one must go inward through prayer because it is the oxygen of the soul.’
Building on Mary’s openness, the priest added, the manger, the heart, where the Child will be born, as a miracle to respond to with openness because “in a manger, anything can be found, and God made man chose to be born there.”
He revisited Fr. Oseguera’s words and added: “In front of a person who visits us, we can make them wait at the door of the house while hiding or covering the disorder out of shame, but this cannot happen at Christmas. We must open the doors to Christ so He can transform.” For the holidays, he advised attendees to be “joy-bringers of life.”
The final message from the UFV chaplain was for the university, which he said finds its center in love and, therefore, in Christ.
