Late in Advent......

.....the evenings are long and the longing for beauty comes gently in thought, then with force to the shivering soul.........

Just in time for Christmas!

Happy Birthday?

It's common to hear children talk about Christmas as being Jesus' birthday. I've heard adults do the same, and I confess I find it sad to think an adult would think this is the case. Is Christmas Jesus' birthday; NO! To call Christmas Jesus' birthday is to neglect the real significance of the solemnity. Christmas celebrates and proclaims the Incarnation; God become fully human. We, as followers of Jesus are asked to do the reverse; namely to become divine (well as close as we can get). It seems to me that no matter what anyone thinks about the virgin birth or the authenticity of the nativity narrative, the Incarnation and our own striving to "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" make Christmas much more. Like Mary in today's gospel (Luke 1:26-38), at Christmas we hear "The Lord is with you". May we be as generous as Mary in our own response!

Mea Culpa!!!

Still preparing the way........

Once again this Advent, John the Baptist is the central figure in today's gospel. Once again his humility and faithful witness to the "one who is to come" reminds us that it is Christ who stands at the head of our Christmas feast and indeed our faith itself. Just like today, religious leaders come and question his message because:

Once again, I cannot help but marvel at the one who said of himself:

‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.

John 1:23

May your spiritual and physical preparations for Christmas be blessed this third week of Advent!

Makes me cry every time..... :_)

I love her!

We all need one another to row for.........

Advent II

The scripture readings of Advent are among the most beautiful and sometimes disturbing of the entire liturgical year.

Isaiah 40.1-11

Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

A voice says, ‘Cry out!’
And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’
All people are grass,
their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand for ever.
Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’
See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.

Followers of Jesus cannot help but see Saint John the Baptist in these words, and indeed he is the main character in today's Gospel reading:

Mark 1.1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight” ’,
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

John was not known for his words of comfort; indeed he was given to calling people out for their transgressions (deservedly so). What I like about today's reading is how his humility and understanding of his place in the larger picture shine through. One day I'll tell you the story of how I came to select John as my patron saint, but for now I'll let his words speak to the quiet Advent place we can create in our hearts despite the busyness of the season. We often forget that Advent is a time of spiritual reflection and preparation for Christmas our Incarnational feast.

In that preparation, I can think of no better meditation than the words of today's psalm, Psalm 85:

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.

May righteousness and peace kiss in your today and faithfulness spring up abundantly!