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First Sunday of Advent: Bearing Life into the World
Nine months pregnant. Aching back and feet. Exhaustion. And on top of it, traveling by donkey for three whole days in order to fulfill a command from a far-off governor to count the inhabitants of Bethlehem. Yet – Mary never claimed exemption because of her circumstances. I probably would have tried to claim exemption. I have claimed an exemption for jury duty for much less than three days on a donkey at my due date. Why didn’t she refuse to go or claim an exemption? Why didn’t she make it easier for herself? Caryll Houselander puts it in hauntingly simple terms: “...Mary never claimed exemption from the common lot, from…
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Advent Emptiness
I decided that for Advent this year I would read The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander. It’s a book I’ve attempted before without success. As I perused the first chapter, I realized this is what I need. And as I read through the first chapter entitled “emptiness,” I realized how perfectly it makes for a pre-Advent examination of our hearts. Please join me as I share some reflections as we prepare to enter into a new church year and the penitential season of Advent. In the coming weeks I hope you continue with me in my walk through The Reed of God. If we are to receive fully from the…
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May You Find the Light in the Darkness
We found ourselves in the emergency room with our six week old. Our house was yet another casualty of RSV this season, and despite our best efforts to protect our six week old from it, we found ourselves rushing him to the hospital because we were concerned by his breathing that night. After getting him evaluated, he was given oxygen and his body found some rest and relief. And they wanted to admit him. An outcome I honestly wasn’t expecting when we took him in. As we sat in our dimmed room waiting for a hospital bed to be prepared for us, I contemplated the darkness of that moment. The…
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Mary’s Poverty
We all have areas of poverty in our lives. These are areas where we seem to lack something. Areas of deep emptiness and deep suffering. If you need help identifying these areas in your life, consider one where you feel as though you have no control. If you feel out of control, you are likely suffering deeply in this area. This is an area of poverty for you. This is also an area of great promise and potential. Why? Because God works most fully in and through our nothingness. Being in a position of need reminds us of who we are before God – beggars. It reminds me of a…
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Advent Prayer Resource for Families
I have created a prayer resource for you and your family to use this Advent. I do want to say early on that it’s not something that will work well with really little ones. It will work best with children who are able to read. You could always try it with a younger child if you think they are able to listen well and understand the scripture stories. This will also work well for spouses after the little children are in bed, or if you have no children at home. And of course, for any family big or small! Lectio, what? This resource focuses on families praying together with scriptures…