Advent is now out there on a shelf near you. Advent Calendars are up there with other themed goodies in supermarkets, up market stores, street markets and online. The rush of end of year parties, break-ups, annual general meetings and the hot sticky climate of December in Australia all tend to be exhausting. Yet the liturgical season is one of pensive waiting, reflective awareness and active living in the climate of grace.Al these movements challenge the dominant commercial glitz that can overwhelm us in these wonderful four weeks.
Anticipation of a coming
Desire for salvation
Voices of prophets
Expectation of something new
Nativity
Time to prepare
I have gathered some reflections that I will be using each week of the season. I hope you too find them nurturing at this time. You will find more resources on the Sojourners page here
If Jesus is the archetype of what the gift is and how a gift
is given, Mary is the archetype of how a gift is received.
The amazing thing is that the Scripture says nothing
especially positive about Mary. No credit rating is stated; it doesn’t say she
prayed a lot or regularly went to the temple. No heroic anything. Mary seems to
know she is nothing according to her own Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). She clearly
knows and fully accepts she stands under the total mercy of God. Mary knows she
did not earn this. It was all mercy, mercy, mercy. Divine choice says something
about the chooser much more than the one who is chosen. In the spiritual world,
all worthiness is given. Our only job is to fully and freely receive. Mary was
a supreme receiver station.
As we begin the church year, we are facing an overwhelming apocalyptic situation
Father William Grimm, Tokyo
Japan
Japan
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