Readings (Click the links to see the readings)

Isaiah 2.1-5 | Psalm 122 | Romans 13.9-14 | Matthew 24.36-44 |

Reflection

Advent offers all of us a chance to be born again. We might well ask with Nicodemus, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus tells us that if we want to be part of the people of God we must be born "from above": "No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit" (John 3:4–7). In truth, all of life is an ongoing opportunity for us to find new life and to get in touch with God's ongoing work of co-creating the world with us.

In the beginning God created everything. Created by God, we are called to be stewards of all that we have and receive from God. The mystery of the incarnation, Christmas, and Christ's coming invites us to enter fully into God's ongoing acts of creation and to participate joyfully in the reign of God.

Advent calls us to remember that God is our Creator. Remembering God's acts of creation, as well as God's acts of redemption, liberation, salvation, and grace, we grow in anticipation of the Child's coming at Christmas and on the last day. The first step in Advent is to remember that we are created by God and loved by God.

—The Womb of Advent by Mark Bozutti-Jones. New York: Seabury Books, 2007.

Spiritual Journey

And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles,
no matter how long,
but only by a spiritual journey,
a journey of one inch,
very arduous and humbling and joyful,
by which we arrive at the ground at our feet,
and learn to be at home.
—Wendell Berry

Prayer

You are here, within my reach.
All I need is to open my hands,
accept your gift to me of breath,
turn my awareness your way,
and I find you waiting for me,
patiently, closely.

I don't need to hide myself from you,
who made me in mercy
and know me completely.

When I go to you in prayer, anxiety
turns gradually to serenity.
You smooth my fear with a steady hand
until it subsides,
and I am simplified.

Freed of worry, unhindered by my history
I need not ask for your favour,
but only for the faithfulness
to take you at your Word,
imbued by holy, emboldening Spirit.
Source of my confidence,
Purpose in my perseverance,
accept this prayer in the name of Christ,
my beginning,
my fulfilment.
—From Oblation, by Rachel M. Srubas. Paraclete Press, 2006.

Bo Bartlett. The Forge (Swords into Plowshares) (2008)
"they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks" (Isaiah 2.2)

Der Aachener Studentenchor der Katholischen Hochschulgemeinde. Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen Michael Praetorius.

The Advent Conspiracy. Conspiring Advent 2012 at Sunrise UMC.