Catholic Faith | Advent | Grandpa's Garden | catholic family life
Each morning in the predawn, I accompany our dog into the yard. The neighborhood is quiet, and I encourage our pup to keep it that way. He has a way of letting out a woof when surprised by something he’s not familiar with. On a clear morning, there is a deep orange glow on the horizon, promising the coming sunrise. These past mornings, the frost on the grass glistened in the porch light. It is a tranquil time on the edge of darkness and light.
Take Your Time
When I was a child, my mother often advised me to take my time. I needed to be reminded because my rush to get something done impacted the quality of my work. Whatever my gifts might have been, I hadn’t cultivated patience.
Advent invites us to take our time and calls us to quiet ourselves. In the quiet of Advent time, we watch and wait.
Surprises
The liturgical color purple beckons us to self-reflection and to find within us what we most long for and maybe what hinders us from growing. Within our Advent watchfulness, we may want to pray for the grace of insight into how we see the world and interact with each other. This process can take time and may be surprising. The grace of God’s Spirit continues to surprise us.
“May this Advent season be a precious opportunity to lift our gaze to Him, who lightens our hearts and sustains us on our way.” (Pope Francis, Angelus message, December 1, 2024)
Light and Love
We can let Advent time give us space to grow, deepen, and expand our perspective. There seems to be much fear and blame in the world, yet there is no room for light in fear and no room for love in blame. Advent celebrates the surprises of light and love, awakening us to God’s immeasurable care for us. He is among us, one of us.
“…What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1: 3-4)
As we light the Advent Wreath candles over these weeks, it may dawn on us to recognize how God’s presence illuminates everything. We can see everything in a new light.
Let us pray in our families for the grace to be open to the Lord’s light and life.