Let Him Surpass Your Expectations

A Reading for the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
 
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage."
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel."
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
"Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage."
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.
 

“This year wasn’t what I expected…”

I cannot count the number of times this statement resonated with me as I caught up with friends, met with co-workers and scrolled on social media since March. As someone who expected a lot from this year, I can personally attest that 2020 was nothing like what I imagined it would be. After being frustrated with this feeling of dissatisfaction, I started bringing my unmet expectations to prayer, and as I sat with it more and more, I began to realize something.

Our God is a God that invites us to wait in joyful hope, who performs miracles and calls us to expect much. There are seasons within the liturgical year that invite us into waiting and expectation - not to torture us or disappoint us, but because, time and time again, God desires to surpass all of our expectations.

The past Sunday Gospel readings have all been about people with expectations for the Messiah: Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna, and the same can be said about the magi in this upcoming Sunday’s Gospel. During their long and arduous journey, I’m sure their expectations grew in anticipation for their encounter with the newborn king each moment they drew closer to Bethlehem.

Imagine their expectations… and now imagine their surprise that they were met not by a lavish palace celebrating the birth of a new king but a humble dwelling and a poor young woman holding her son. Instead of leaving or voicing disappointment to Mary that this was not the situation they expected, the magi recognized the humility and greatness of God in the infant Jesus and lay prostrate before Him in complete adoration. In this act of submission, they allowed themselves to be transfixed and transformed by the power of Christ, something that never would have happened if they didn’t allow God to surpass their expectations.

This week, I encourage you to pray with your expectations from this past year and this upcoming year. How did this past year not live up to your expectations? How did God surpass your expectations in 2020? How is the Lord calling you to grow in expectation for all that He has planned for you in 2021? 
 

About the Author: Nicole Jones is the Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (Red Stick Catholics) at the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Nicole grew up in Baton Rouge and started getting involved with ministry after experiencing a deep conversion of heart at a high school bible study at Our Lady of Mercy parish. During her time as a mass communication student at LSU, Nicole became more involved with Christ the King Catholic Church and Student Center. It was there that she felt the Lord tugging on her heart to dive deeper into ministry and apply for her current position at the Diocese. When Nicole isn’t working, she can be found spending time with her dog, Indy, and baking the world’s best chocolate chip cookies.
Favorite Saint (at the moment): St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (aka Edith Stein) has been on my heart lately, so much so that I am making her one of my saintly intercessors for 2021. The more and more I read and hear about her, the more I am in awe of her true femininity and love for Christ and His Cross. 
Favorite Song from the Gather Hymnal (aka your favorite traditional church song): “Two Fishermen” has been, and will always be, the greatest Gather Hymnal banger... but in all seriousness, “O God Beyond All Praising” gives me goosebumps.

Learn More About Red Stick Catholics

The Well is a weekly reflection series from Red Stick Catholics that was created to allow young adults from the Diocese of Baton Rouge to reveal how God is speaking to them through prayer and Scripture. Each reflection contains the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, a reflection written by a young adult from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and prompts for how to pray with the Gospel and reflection during the week. If you are interested in writing a reflection, please email Nicole at njones@diobr.org .