Do You Have a Theme for Advent?

We are half way through the Advent season of 2018 and by now you may have been noticing in your prayer life, or at Mass, or in some aspect of your spiritual reflections a “theme” of sorts that speaks to you, or stands out, grabbing your attention. Or perhaps not. If we are truly listening to God on a regular basis He is likely to get your attention and invite you to hear His special word to you, His special message of love.

So, during the rest of this Advent season, if you aren’t already doing so, I invite you to open your heart and spend the time necessary to allow this time of rich spiritual inspiration–in the Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, scripture, Catholic blogs and websites, private reflection and rosary meditation, etc–to bring you closer to our Lord and His Mother.

Then, let’s share together our “themes” of Advent. Would you like to be enriched by others’ insights, and share yours? Post it in the comment box below. It would be so nice to hear from you.

I will share mine soon. First I must get the nuns’ dinner on the table (you don’t want to see hungry nuns … not pretty)!

God bless you!

An Advent Theme

Hello, all. We’re back. That was a very long lunch (almost two days?)!

Do you ever find yourself frustrated when things around you seem to be yelling at you, “Ha! Ha! You are so out of control here! All of us out here (situations, people, plans, ideas, weather–on and on …) are designed to make you CRAZY! We are here laughing at you as you struggle to control us according to your designs. Sorry, it won’t work. Ha! Ha! Ha!”?

No. I didn’t think so.

But if you or I ever DID experience such temporary insanity, there is a way out. Surely, lots of ways. The way God showed me came after a holy–holy, mind you–game of Russian Roulette I played with Him the other day (Sometimes He will play the game with me, other times no. I wouldn’t recommend playing this on a normal basis in your conversations with our Lord, though!). I opened a little Advent meditation booklet and read a quote from then-current-Pope Benedict:

God has made himself small for us. God comes not with external force, but he comes in the powerlessness of his love, which is where his true strength lies. He places himself in our hands. He asks for our love. He invites us to become small ourselves, to come down from our high thrones and to learn to be childlike before God. He speaks to us informally. He asks us to trust him and thus to learn how to live in truth and love.

Pope Emeritus Benedict’s writings have such a way of touching the heart. But not with mere human comfort or sentiment. He brings the hard-core Truth into the light, and that challenges our darkness, as only the Light of Christ can do.

So, for me, this said, “Hello? God made Himself small for us. Why are you trying to be big? Bigger than God? Here is your example. It’s okay to be powerless, because that’s where love is. Your strength is not in having things go your way.”  

Oh, yeah. I forgot.

I felt like He was inviting me to try “child-likeness” for a change. And try to place all (especially myself) in his hands. Try being true. That means weak. So He can take over and make me free. When I am all tangled up in forcing my will and righteousness upon the world around me and even within me, there is no room for God’s help, and no peace either. Those “high thrones” where I had placed my hope–without even realizing it–were all around me, as if to suffocate me and block my view of heaven, and I had to come down from my thrones, back into the valley of humility. 

“But, Lord, how do I become childlike? I am so opposite of that and can’t even grasp the concept at this moment!”

“… he asks us to trust him and to LEARN how to live in truth and love.”

The word LEARN is key. Learning is a process. It means trying repeatedly. And I think if we sincerely try, He will act. He will do it (Is. 46:11). After the child has wobbled a bit taking baby steps, the parent reaches down and swoops up the child to the safety and glory of Mom or Dad’s arms. So, too, with our heavenly Father. Amen?

I thank Him for that little grace that set me free for the moment, and now I must gather my strength–no, my weakness!–and humbly try to walk like a child this Advent, keeping my focus on His Face and not my feet.

Thanks for listening. Now share a word that has spoken to your heart this season.