A Challenge for Advent
As we anticipate the celebration of the Incarnation on Christmas Day, we inhabit the paradoxical nature of the Advent season with a kind of double vision. For, on the one hand, we are called to remember what it was like to live in the darkness of sin and lament our broken condition. Yet, we who confess Christ’s coming and saving work, remember with joyful confidence that Christ has already come and conquered sin, as well as long for the day he will come again in victory. We wait, not in ignorance, but in the knowledge of God’s plan which he has revealed to us. In this way, we are akin to those like Mary, Joseph, Zachariah, and all those who received the promises of God in faith and waited in true hope for the promised offspring of Abraham, the true king of Israel.
This year, we invite you to participate in the season of Advent through the memorization of Scripture. Committing Scripture to memory not only brings us to a deeper understanding of the words themselves, but brings the Word of God into our bodies. Like Mary, who carried the Word of God in her womb, we too can carry the Word in our minds. Like Mary, we can expect in confidence the transforming power of this Word. As we meditate upon the selected passages and permit the words of Scripture to take root within us, let us pray as St. Bernard prayed in response to Mary’s humble and joyful receptivity to the Word of God:
“Let the Word, I pray, be to me, not as a word spoken only to pass away, but conceived and clothed in flesh, not in air, that he may remain with us. Let him be, not only to be heard with the ears, but to be seen with the eyes, touched with the hands and borne on the shoulders. Let the Word be to me, not as a word written and silent, but incarnate and living. That is, not traced with dead signs upon dead parchments but living impressed in human form upon my chaste womb; not by the tracing of a pen of lifeless reed, but by the operations of the Holy Spirit.”
May the Word of God dwell richly in us.
Select one or more of the passages provided for each week of Advent to commit to memory. At the end of each week, take a few minutes to prayerfully reflect using the questions provided below. We encourage you to adapt the Advent Challenge to include the children in your life by selecting a single verse or several verses from the listed passages. Prompt them to reflect on the passage they memorize and help them summarize what it teaches.
Week 1
John 1:1-18
Psalm 42
Psalm 130
Week 2
Ephesians 2:13-17
Psalm 80
Psalm 85
Week 3
Isaiah 35:3-6, 10
Psalm 126
Psalm 146
Week 4
1 John 3:7-12
Psalm 25
Psalm 136
Strategies for Memorization
Copy out the passage onto a notecard to carry with you throughout your day. Revisit the passage several times a day, reading it aloud and reciting it phrase by phrase. Throughout the week, copy out the passage afresh, doing as much as you can by memory.
Find an audio recording of the passage and listen to it several times throughout your day. If you cannot find a suitable recording of the passage, use your phone to record yourself reading aloud the passage for memorization on voice memos app.
Carefully read the passage from beginning to end. Reread the passage, marking out different sections of thought within the passage. In the margin summarize each section with a word of phrase. Then, identify the operative word of each sentence or phrase which underlies the logic or poetic development of the passage.
Memorize with a friend, spouse, or colleague. Reciting the passage aloud together, in turn, or by verse provides accountability, encouragement, and a space for you to experience God’s word together.
For young children, putting Scripture to song is a wonderful way to make the memorization of Scripture engaging and accessible.
Reflection Questions
What particular words or phrases have emerged as especially significant. Explore why these words have become important to you and your understanding.
When have the verses and passages you’ve memorized resurfaced in your mind? Reflect on these occasions and the effect of the words of Scripture.
Consider the ways in which memorizing the words of Scripture have shaped your prayer life.