The Beginning of Advent
Thought of the Day:
the warmth of your love,
and my mind is searching
for the light of your Word.
Increase my longing
for Jesus.
Amen”
“Living God’s Word: Reflections on the Weekly Gospels”
Thinking Outside of the Box:
Christmas has changed from a purely Christian holiday to a season of the year that is represented by December holding the major holiday for many religions and faiths. As a Catholic I would like to go “on record” as saying there is nothing wrong with that; it creates a time of the year where the whole world can, in one thought, hope for peace and goodwill between all people. But I think it is important, within that framework of holiday hope, that we acknowledge where Christmas began and what it really means. This is my personal prayer for this Advent. If you don’t know what Advent is, click on the link above and learn more about it. It is all about preparation. It is the time that the heart prepares to receive the baby born in Bethlehem, in a stable, to an expectant world. Our relationship with Jesus, with The Christ, is one that every person will sooner or later have to deal with; this prayer, this beautiful quote, can help still the mind as it prepares to receive.
A Last Thought:
“Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope… It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.”
Pope Benedict XVI
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