Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As I sit in my cozy office at church, on a silvery gray day, watching a few snow flurries drift gently down, I’m thinking about Advent—my favorite liturgical season. I love the music, love the confusion between the past/present/future in our Scripture readings, love the joyful anticipation, love the church dressed in blue, and I even love my favorite blue vestments.
Traditionally, each week of Advent has a theme. Last week, with its sense of longing for God to come and save us, is associated with HOPE for the Savior and the new world which his advent brings.
This week, we acknowledge that even while we are waiting and expectant for the promised changes, God gave us the gift of PEACE in the past, and we look for it day by day in the present, until the second coming of the Prince of PEACE.
Next week, the third Sunday of Advent, we will light the pink candle on the Advent wreath to remind each other of the JOY we experience as we look forward to the coming of the Savior. Indeed, the ancient hymn that traditionally began that Sunday’s service started “Gaudete”, REJOICE, in the Lord always and I again I say, REJOICE!
The fourth Sunday of Advent is filled with the awareness of the LOVE that prompted Jesus to take on human form and live among us, the LOVE with which we respond to him, and the LOVE we show each other in Christ.
Finally, on Christmas, we will light the central, white candle, symbolic of the LIGHT that has come into the world, the LIGHT of Christ, which shines in the darkness and is never overcome.
And speaking of next Sunday’s JOY (December 12), during the service, we will have a visit by St. Nicholas. I hope that you will be here to greet the blessed Bishop of Myra. He especially likes and is concerned with children, I understand. So please bring your kids, grand-kids, neighbors’ kids, for this special treat (and treats).
Joy to you all, as we wait for the coming of the Day of the Lord!
Mo. Laura+