"How Advent Saved My Christmas"

Recently, a member of the Commission for Women (Susan Bailey) made a presentation at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Northborough, MA on how focusing on Advent themes and following in the footsteps of Mary restored peace and harmony to her Christmas.

You can listen to the talk (with music from her Advent/Christmas album, Wait with Me) here - just click on the title "How Advent Saved My Christmas":


You can watch video highlights too:




Susan wishes to thank Pearl Martino, another member of the Commission, for extending the invitation. It was a wonderful evening!

Advent meditation from the Ministry of Arts

This ministry provided the beautiful prayer cards for the Gather Us in Conference. Here is a devotion I received from them for Advent.

The mention of Advent always stirs thoughts of waiting. . .

waiting for Christmas.

We Theologians always speak of reflecting on the three ways of Christ's coming:

in history in Bethlehem,

in the daily events of our lives, and the second coming in the future.

I've been thinking that we've got it all wrong.

We need not wait for God. God is always present, always with us. That's what the name Emmanuel means: God-with-us.

And, that's the primary truth we hear in the Scriptures.

God created us, and calls us into relationship.

God is indeed present with us, and especially in the person of Jesus the Christ.

No, this Advent, I've come to see that it's GOD who waits for US. . .

. . .waits for us to notice that we are indeed created by God.

We are born with unique gifts and qualities

as well as deficiencies and lack of qualities.

God only sees our goodness, and waits for us to notice too.

. . .waits for us to notice the myriad ways

in which God is with us, always.

We know the Creator in the beauty and amazing capacities of creation, both earth and human.

We know the Creator when we experience love.

We know the Creator when we can not explain or understand mystery.

. . .waits for us to notice when we observe people acting in the image of God:

in covenant with one another, both those known and unknown,

both those alike and those very different.

. . .waits for us to notice the emptiness in our hearts

that can only be filled by God's own Self.

. . .in the season of Advent, as Christmas approaches,

God waits for us to notice the wonder and innocence of little children

How God must long for us grownups to be more like them, without guile.

It is true that in Advent we wait; but really, it is God who waits for us.

May we savor and revel in that reality.

Sallie Latkovich, CSJ

The above reflection by Sallie Latkovich is the opening to "Winter's Wisdom," our annual Advent booklet featuring Scripture readings and reflections for each day of the season.

Click here to for more information:

Winter's Wisdom 2009

Art: "Visitation" by Mary Southard, CSJ

The artist's reflection on the image:

"When we engage with one another, the Spirit is ignited and we are enlivened. The figures surrounding "Mary and Elizabeth" represent people from many cultures with whom we are always in relationship, in communion. Notice that a "chalice" has been created where the central figures are joined. . ."

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