Advent Thought

If you want,
the Virgin will come walking down the road / pregnant with the holy, / and say,
“I need shelter for the night, / please take me inside your heart, / my time is so close.”
Then, under the roof of your soul / you will witness the sublime
intimacy, the divine, the Christ / taking birth / forever,
as she grasps your hand for help, / for each of us is the midwife of God, each of us.
Yet there, under the dome of your being does creation
come into existence eternally, / through your womb, dear pilgrim—
the sacred womb in your soul, / as God grasps our arms for help;
for each of us is / His beloved servant / never far.
If you want, the Virgin will come walking / down the street pregnant
with Light and sing. . . .
—St. John of the Cross

This time of year is packed with stress and increasingly long to-do lists.  But it is also a time meant to open our eyes to wonder and hope.  How might we let the wonder and hope of the season take precedence over the busyness?  How might we let the anticipation of Advent slow us down rather than speed us up? 
   
My prayer for each of us during this Advent season is that we make room for our spirits and our spirits’ deepest longings.  My prayer is that we won’t rush around because it’s become a cultural norm.  My prayer is that we will listen to our hearts and answer them with compassion.  Our homes do not need to be perfectly decorated.  Our meals do not need to be worthy of a magazine cover.  Our gifts do not need to be beautifully wrapped and adorned.  What is most important is that we are present with ourselves, with one another, and with the Sacred that exists all around us.  This season invites us to be a part of the birth of beauty, wonder, hope, and grace.  How might we give birth to these gifts in our own lives?  And in the lives of others we know?
   
It is a blessing to journey through this sacred season with you!

See you in church,
Christy