Born in me

Christ could be born a thousand times in Galilee -- but all in vain until he is born in me.

In the silence of Advent

In the silence of Advent, we are called to joy:

"Listen, I bring you news of great joy."
Joy is the transparency of grace,
the overflow of Christ's presence into us,
into the lives of others.
Joy is a gift, the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
"Christ's joy is the sharing in the unfathomable joy,
both divine and human,
which is at the heart of Jesus Christ glorified."
The deep, quiet joy of the gift
of goodness of life,
of one's family and friends,
of loving and being loved,
of holiness,
of the Eucharist.
We were created for joy!

Unconditional love

Advent's silence reaches us as Love:

At the very heart of our experience, each of us has an intuitive sense of the value of unconditional love. We discover great joy when we can love without reservation, suspending judgments and opening fully to the vivid reality of another's being. Unconditional love has tremendous power, activating a larger energy which connects us with the vastness and profundity of what it is to be human. This energy is the energy of the heart ... This energy is the Love of Christ.

To love another

For, to love another is to address to that person the most powerful and imperious form of appeal. It is to stir up in his or her depths a silent and hidden person forced to emerge in response to our voice, so new that even its owner did not know it, yet so true that he or she cannot fail to recognize it, even though seeing it for the first time.

The most important need in the world today

Advent is a season to ponder "all these things" in our hearts:

Thomas Merton calls us all to contemplation in his book of Contemplative Prayer ...

" ... the most important need in the world today is the inner truth nourished by the Spirit of contemplation -- the praise and love of God, the longing for the coming of Christ, the thirst for the manifestation of God's glory, truth and justice -- the Kingdom of God in the world."

December 1988 (Vol. I, No. 11)

May the blessing of Advent be with each one of you during this Holyday season and all through the new year - 1989!

Advent is the season of the seed

Advent is the season of the seed:
The seed, Christ said, is the word of god Sown
in the human heart.
The advent, the seed of the world's life, was hidden in Mary.
Like the wheat seed in the earth,
the seed of the Bread of Life was in her.
Like the golden harvest in the darkness of the earth,
the Glory of God was enshrined in her darkness.
Advent is the season of the secret,
the secret of the growth of Christ,
of Divine Love growing in silence.
It is the season of humility, silence and growth.
This time of advent is absolutely essential to our contemplation.
If we have truly given our humanity to be changed into Christ,
It is essential to us that we do not disturb this
time of growth.
It is a time of darkness, of faith.
We shall not see Christ's radiance in our lives yet;
It is still hidden in our darkness;
Nevertheless, we are to believe Christ is growing in our lives;
We are to believe it so firmly that we cannot help
relating everything, literally everything,
to this almost incredible reality.

~ from THE REED OF GOD by Caryll Houselander
Caryll Houselander The Reed Of God waiting Buy on Amazon

Born in me

Christ could be born a thousand times in Galilee -- but all in vain until he is born in me.
~ Angelus Silesius
Angelus Silesius waiting Buy on Amazon

In the silence of Advent

In the silence of Advent, we are called to joy:

"Listen, I bring you news of great joy."
Joy is the transparency of grace,
the overflow of Christ's presence into us,
into the lives of others.
Joy is a gift, the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
"Christ's joy is the sharing in the unfathomable joy,
both divine and human,
which is at the heart of Jesus Christ glorified."
The deep, quiet joy of the gift
of goodness of life,
of one's family and friends,
of loving and being loved,
of holiness,
of the Eucharist.
We were created for joy!

~ from CELTIC MEDITATIONS by Edward Farrell
Edward Farrell Celtic Meditations waiting Buy on Amazon

Unconditional love

Advent's silence reaches us as Love:

At the very heart of our experience, each of us has an intuitive sense of the value of unconditional love. We discover great joy when we can love without reservation, suspending judgments and opening fully to the vivid reality of another's being. Unconditional love has tremendous power, activating a larger energy which connects us with the vastness and profundity of what it is to be human. This energy is the energy of the heart ... This energy is the Love of Christ.

~ from "On Love" by John Welwood
John Welwood On Love waiting Buy on Amazon

To love another

For, to love another is to address to that person the most powerful and imperious form of appeal. It is to stir up in his or her depths a silent and hidden person forced to emerge in response to our voice, so new that even its owner did not know it, yet so true that he or she cannot fail to recognize it, even though seeing it for the first time.

~ from IN HIS PRESENCE by Louis Evely
Louis Evely In His Presence waiting Buy on Amazon

The most important need in the world today

Advent is a season to ponder "all these things" in our hearts:

Thomas Merton calls us all to contemplation in his book of Contemplative Prayer ...

" ... the most important need in the world today is the inner truth nourished by the Spirit of contemplation -- the praise and love of God, the longing for the coming of Christ, the thirst for the manifestation of God's glory, truth and justice -- the Kingdom of God in the world."

~ from CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER by Thomas Merton & Thich Nhat Hanh
Thomas Merton Contemplative Prayer waiting

Lord of the Shining Worlds

Christ is the Lord
Lord of the Light
Lord of the Shining Worlds
the One Light
within each One.

Christ is the One Light moving
across the face of the Earth
awakening souls
in the shadow of illusion.

Awakening love
and forgiveness
in every heart,
awakening Peace on Earth

~ Anonymous
Anonymous waiting

Lord of the Shining Worlds

Christ is the Lord
Lord of the Light
Lord of the Shining Worlds
the One Light
within each One.

Christ is the One Light moving
across the face of the Earth
awakening souls
in the shadow of illusion.

Awakening love
and forgiveness
in every heart,
awakening Peace on Earth

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