Advent Invites Adventure!

ADVENT ....
Adventure ~ ad-ven-ture 1: a risky undertaking
2: a remarkable and exciting experience

As we begin this fourth week of Advent several thoughts and ideas run through my mind about this beautiful season of the year. A couple of weeks ago I just wanted to see what the dictionary said for the word Advent and discovered that the word "adventure" was only two words down from Advent in my Webster Dictionary. To me, the two words really are related!
Are we not invited to a risky undertaking when we set time apart for more prayer and some introspection to see how we can prepare our hearts for the coming of Christmas? Is not this time of preparation for Christmas a call to growth and the discovery of what a remarkable and exciting experience the life of Jesus - the light that powers over dark - can bring us if we are open to the adventure!?!
As a Christian I am invited again and again to take a risk ... to take the risk ... to reach out to others around me who might "walk in darkness", who maybe are not as fortunate as I am, who perhaps have stumbled into difficult times, who might feel sad and lonely and even disconnected and try to bring them a bit of love and care that was manifested on that first Christmas day. I have felt that way - at a low ebb at different times in my life and have been blessed with others who cared and brought me the light of God.
The little picture/poster shown above is just such an example ... In 1989 I was teaching 4th grade at St. Charles School in Spokane , WA. At one point of the year I was feeling rather down, "disconnected", in the dark about some things in life and in community - I didn't think it showed especially when I was involved in the teaching day. Well, one morning one of my beautiful students brought in the pictured banner/poster shown above for me. I was totally shocked! It was exactly what I needed ... and I asked Alicia how it came about ~ what got her to do it?? Her response was so innocent and spontaneous: "Oh, I don't know ... I was watching TV last night and it just popped into my head, so I did it! ...and I want you to have it." WOW! Light powers over Dark ...... as God powers over EVEL (evil). That was pretty profound for a fourth grader. I know that little girl allowed the light of God to work in her life and she touched my life immensely!
This morning on my way to work I switched the radio to the Catholic radio station. It is the tradition of KBVM to broadcast the story, The Cinnamon Bear - a classic 1937 story of the adventures of Judy and Jimmy Barton who have set out and are trying to find their missing silver star for the Christmas tree. I don't think I have ever heard the whole story, just snippets from year to year. Anyway, this morning fifteen words made an impact on my ears and heart as one of the characters said, "What I mean is - It's dark inside of me when I have my eyes closed." As we continue the journey through these last days of Advent, may we be people of the light, with our eyes wide open ready to take a risk and know of God's remarkable and exciting experience of the birth of Jesus ... O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

Advent Awareness

Advent, that time of waiting for the coming of Christ and the celebration of Christmas. Advent, a time of preparation and anticipation ... This season of Advent has already revealed a new awareness or two for me, as well as teaching me a few lessons on the patience of waiting ...

On November 30th - the first Tuesday of Advent, I went in for some surgery on my lower leg to remove part of a benign tumor. I had been anticipating this surgery for a long time with great anxiety, but everything went fine and and I got to come home that very afternoon. However, I am now hobbling along and needing to keep my leg elevated as much as possible. I am not use to this kind of inactivity - I've needed to learn patience with myself and my inability to do what I am use to doing ... for awhile anyway. Oh how I miss my brisk walks! I wait for the day to be able to go walking again.
I also am in a waiting mode for the lab report. The lab work was sent out to the Cleveland Clinic ~ just to make sure of things ... probably a two week wait. Anyway, circumstances like these add a good perspective to life that is for sure!

So, while I have been "down" I have started reading a book by Sr. Joan Chittister (The Gift of Years if you are really curious). In the introduction she used a quote by E.M. Forester that I have heard before and do like: "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.".
There is a lot of truth to Forester's words. So often we have all kinds of plans and they get interrupted or changed for one reason or another. Things happen! I travel a lot as you probably have gathered, and sometimes travel planes get messed up. There is a delay and I miss the flight, but then end up getting a meal paid for by the airlines and meeting someone that was totally unexpected that added a nice surprise to the trip enriching my life. I am sure you can think of other great examples when "plans" took unexpected detours that really were better - there is lots of life waiting for us if we "let go" instead of fretting and stewing which I so often have the tendency to do!
And you know, in some ways that is part of what Advent is all about! A time like this Advent season helps to give us a pause in life ... to step back a bit and come to a better understanding of what it means to "Let go and let God". We certainly have a wonderful example of that in the Blessed Virgin Mary (whose feast we celebrated yesterday) in her beautiful "fiat" - her yes to God! She let go of the life she thought would be, to then embrace the awesome life that was waiting for her!

In our Franciscan Morning Praise for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the second reading was from St. Bonaventure who wrote: "...the Archangel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin ...When she gave her consent to him, the Holy Spirit came upon her like a divine fire inflaming her soul and sanctifying her flesh in perfect purity. But the power of the Most High overshadowed her so that she could endure such fire." (The Tree of Life-Lig vit 1:3)
May each of us know many Advent blessings as we prepare for Christmas so that we also might be receptive to the power of God working in our lives and be prepared for the life that is waiting!

The Hope of Advent Waiting

HOPE comes in little ways,
it only takes one shining star, one faithful friend, one wisp of inspiration,
one touch of creation's beauty, one deep sip of love,
to keep the illumination alive in us.
~ Sr. Joyce Rupp

So many times over the past few days the theme of HOPE has jumped out at me! I stumbled upon Sr. Joyce Rupp's wonderful quote a week or so ago and just loved it ... Then hope came to me during my Saturday morning walk through "one touch of creation's beauty" as shown in the picture above of the frost covered holly branch. Over the past few days I keep bumping into the word ... on a car bumper sticker, during the homily at Mass yesterday, in the lines of the psalm that I prayed during morning prayer, in several reflection prayer books I have and even on an ad on my e-mail page .... Hope is the word of the week for me! I do believe that this is what Advent and the beautiful season of Christmas is all about!

As I went for my walk this past Saturday morning it was very cold, a bit of fog was hanging and everything was frosted over ~ it was really quite beautiful. At first I couldn't get that Christmas song "... frosted window panes ..." out of my my head. However, as the sun started to peak through, the frost on the trees and bushes started to melt. My Christmas carol turned into a mediation....

Here we are in a very dark time of the year. For me, certain things in life have been on the bleak side. Three significant people in my life died within 6 weeks of each other a few months ago, and a short time later a friendly neighbor died. I've also been dealing with some health issues and the concern of an ailing Mom. All those things can start to drag a person down ~ or at least stress me out a bit. Seeing the beauty of the frosted holly branch touched me with refreshment and I felt a sense of hope. As the sunshine began to hit each branch, the frost disappeared and water droplets were left glimmering in the sun. That is what the light of Jesus, our Sonshine, does to our sometimes cold and frosty hearts. God's love can melt away so much if we can just bask in the warmth for awhile. Advent gives us that time ... time to be still, to ponder the mystery of the Incarnation and the wonderful gift of Jesus to us ~ Emmanuel ~ one with us! Let us light that third candle of Advent with joyful expectation and hope!

As Sr. Joan Chittister says so well, "Hope sends us dancing around the dark corners trusting in a common tomorrow we cannot see."
What brings you HOPE? How and when does hope find a way into your heart and mind? ... Please share ....
May the God of hope fill you with all joy, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13

...Advent Advantages...

O Radiant Dawn,
Splendor of Eternal Light,

Sun of Justice:

Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness ...

It is that beautiful season of Advent already! Although this season came all too quickly for me, I am happy for this time of the year. Yesterday I spent a little time in my office trading out items from the Fall and Thanksgiving seasons and putting out reminders of Advent for myself. The lovely card in the picture above is one of those items. It is a piece of artwork done by Sr. Mary Southard, CSJ entitled "Madona of the World", and the quote next to the picture are the words that grace the card. This Advent Season gives us a time of preparation for Christmas, not in the consumer sense, but in the spiritual sense!

Advent is a time to prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas .... and that is the advantage of these four weeks in our Church! Hopefully we all can STOP briefly each day, take a little time, pull ourselves aside from all the busy shopping and decorating of the season, and ponder the gift of Jesus that was born as one of us!

Perhaps these words from St. Francis of Assisi will give you something to think about as we begin this Advent time ... Francis used to tell his brothers: "As you announce peace with your mouth, may you keep it in your heart, thus no one will be provoked to anger or scandal, but rather to kindness and gentleness. For we have been called to this: to cure the wounded, to bind up the broken, and to recall the erring."

As our Gospel reading this weekend says, "Prepare the way of the Lord." Wishing you many blessings as we journey through this Advent Season!
Oh, I almost forgot ...The United States Catholic Bishops have a great site with an advent calendar. Check it out at www.usccb.org/advent/. There is a door for everyday of Advent that opens up when you click on it and gives some Advent thoughts. Does anyone else have a good Advent preparation tip to share?