Advent meditations and reflections

[ktgrok]

I'm reading "Preparing for Advent" by Richard Rohr, and thought I'd share the  reflection or main idea each day so we can discuss it here, together. If you want to read along it's on Amazon in Kindle or paperback, but you don't have to, the reflections will stand on their own as discussion topics. One of the big themes is that we need to not focus on the baby, on the infantile Christ or risk an infantile Christianity. That we need an adult faith, which is much harder. The adult Christ has teachings, messages we may not want to hear or follow. The baby is safe, easy. 

First Sunday of Advent - We start preparing for Jesus, by calling to him and relying  on his timing, not our own, and resting in the faith that he will come again. Our past and our current life are but our Christian prologue. 

Reflection- what expectations and demands of everyday life will you let go of as you prepare for the coming of Jesus?

[fairfarmhand]

Thank you. Great idea!

right now, Christ is calling me to let go of something that I really enjoy. It appears that he’s closing the door. It’s a bitter pill but I’m placing my worries in his hands and trusting that something else will open up. 

[maize]

Maybe this--let go of what is not here and now, live more fully in the moment with the people I am with.

[GailV]

Thanks so much for this -- I enjoy Richard Rohr, and hadn't realized he had a book of Advent readings.  

[ktgrok]

So I think maybe what I need to let go of is wanting my religious journey to be perfect, and to be "done" rather than accepting that it is ALWAYS a journey. To accept that where I am right now is where I need to be, and as I grow and change and the world changes my journey may have shifts and turns I don't expect, and that is okay because no one stop on this earth is anything more than a temporary rest area, rather than a final destination. 

[ktgrok]

56 minutes ago, GailV said:

Thanks so much for this -- I enjoy Richard Rohr, and hadn't realized he had a book of Advent readings.  

Have you heard this podcast where he is the guest? Fascinating. The bits about holiness being collective, and about needing freedom to have faith really resonated with me, as well as the parts about trust. http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2018/10/18/christian-part-fohr

[fairfarmhand]

2 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

So I think maybe what I need to let go of is wanting my religious journey to be perfect, and to be "done" rather than accepting that it is ALWAYS a journey. To accept that where I am right now is where I need to be, and as I grow and change and the world changes my journey may have shifts and turns I don't expect, and that is okay because no one stop on this earth is anything more than a temporary rest area, rather than a final destination. 

Living in the light of eternity. That’s....hard.

so many things seem so important. I wonder if when we get to other side we’ll be shocked at what was deemed important and what is deemed unimportant.

[ktgrok]

25 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

Living in the light of eternity. That’s....hard.

so many things seem so important. I wonder if when we get to other side we’ll be shocked at what was deemed important and what is deemed unimportant.

Father Richard Rohr said something along these lines that struck me - that the questions about being saved, getting into heaven, etc just are not what matter to him anymore. And that's become true for me in a way as well....I'm ready to focus on living out my faith, not trying to get to heaven. 

[Violet Crown]

Katie, I think this is a great thread, and very thought-provoking. But I don't understand this:

On 12/2/2018 at 7:13 AM, Ktgrok said:

One of the big themes is that we need to not focus on the baby, on the infantile Christ or risk an infantile Christianity.

I really don't get how it follows that we risk an "infantile Christianity" from a devotion that goes back to the Magi. Can you explain what he means?

Just in my own experience, focusing on the Holy Infant is a great help toward letting go of the demands and expectations of everyday life, especially at this time of year. When I had a baby at the beginning of Advent (16 years ago!), it was so freeing to just focus on her and know that, next to the humble epiphany of this new little life, shopping and cooking and holiday events were unimportant could all just be left to take care of themselves, because they pale into insignificance. Isn't this what the Infancy is meant to teach us? Spiritual poverty, humility, seeing externals in their right proportion. This is surely what St. Francis was trying to direct his flock toward when he cultivated devotion to the Holy Infant.

 

[ktgrok]

54 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

Katie, I think this is a great thread, and very thought-provoking. But I don't understand this:

I really don't get how it follows that we risk an "infantile Christianity" from a devotion that goes back to the Magi. Can you explain what he means?

Just in my own experience, focusing on the Holy Infant is a great help toward letting go of the demands and expectations of everyday life, especially at this time of year. When I had a baby at the beginning of Advent (16 years ago!), it was so freeing to just focus on her and know that, next to the humble epiphany of this new little life, shopping and cooking and holiday events were unimportant could all just be left to take care of themselves, because they pale into insignificance. Isn't this what the Infancy is meant to teach us? Spiritual poverty, humility, seeing externals in their right proportion. This is surely what St. Francis was trying to direct his flock toward when he cultivated devotion to the Holy Infant.

 

He means that it can be tempting to ONLY focus on the infant Jesus, who has  no demands of us, has no hard teachings to follow. The infant is nonthreatening and safe - easy. It is the adult Jesus with his simple yet hard to hear messages that challenges us. We need both, the infant in his example of pure love and the adult with his message of action.

[Violet Crown]

3 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

He means that it can be tempting to ONLY focus on the infant Jesus, who has  no demands of us, has no hard teachings to follow. The infant is nonthreatening and safe - easy. It is the adult Jesus with his simple yet hard to hear messages that challenges us. We need both, the infant in his example of pure love and the adult with his message of action.

Thanks, that made sense; though I think I disagree with him.

[ktgrok]

17 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

Thanks, that made sense; though I think I disagree with him.

I wonder if it varies based on each person's own tendencies, and experiences. I think maybe a mother has a very different perspective or reaction to "infant" than a celibate priest , and that effects his take on it. I also DO know people who are totally happy to talk about the joy of Christmas, but want nothing to do with caring for the sick, the stranger, etc and certainly aren't going to ever spend two seconds thinking about the rich man parable, or even about Good Friday. 

[Violet Crown]

32 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

I wonder if it varies based on each person's own tendencies, and experiences. I think maybe a mother has a very different perspective or reaction to "infant" than a celibate priest , and that effects his take on it. I also DO know people who are totally happy to talk about the joy of Christmas, but want nothing to do with caring for the sick, the stranger, etc and certainly aren't going to ever spend two seconds thinking about the rich man parable, or even about Good Friday. 

I think you're exactly right. As mothers, we know that an infant demands the sacrifice of our lives, our hearts, our worldly goods, our free time that we had jealously guarded and suddenly finding ourselves eagerly, if tiredly, giving up for the tiny stranger. It's not about too much devotion to the Holy Infant; it's about not offering our hearts rightly, such that the devotion takes us out of our self-love and turns us to the love of Christ, and then naturally to the love of neighbor.

From St. Bonaventure's Life of St. Francis:

Quote

The man of God stands before the crib, filled with affection, bathed in tears and overflowing with joy. A solemn Mass is celebrated over the crib, with Francis as deacon chanting the holy Gospel. Then he preaches to the people standing about concerning the birth of the poor King, whom, when he wished to name him, he called in his tender love, the Child of Bethlehem.

Here's St. Francis beginning with his personal devotion to the Child; then offering sacrifice to God on behalf of the faithful; then turning outward in charity to the people themselves. It's not devotion displacing piety and charity, but piety and charity springing from personal devotion.

Edited December 3, 2018 by Violet Crown
weird screen formatting

[ktgrok]

Today's message is about the risk of pursuing private happiness rather than accepting both the dark and the light times in our life. He uses the example that you don't chase a butterfly, you wait in stillness for it to land. That to focus on personal happiness too much can create an idol of happiness, and that true joy is more communal, and outward focused as much as inward. 

 

[ktgrok]

Sorry, I'm sick and the kids are sick (again!) so missed yesterday. 

Tuesday's thoughts: Advent isn't just about waiting for the infant Jesus, but the Cosmic Christ. We are all part of the Cosmic body of Christ. We wait for the second coming and the fulfillment of history, the birth of history as it were. 

Adding my own reflections, we are also waiting and preparing for our own salvation - using advent as a time of growth. 

 

[ktgrok]

Wednesday reflections:

He discusses the Kingdom of God as the big picture view, and encourages us to not get caught up in small dramas when the big drama of the incarnation, ressurection, etc are what is important. He uses the latin phrase that translates into "will this matter in the light of eternity?" and reminds us to ask ourselves that when we get bogged down in the here and now. That goes along with the sermon and readings at my church this past Sunday, "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap."

He also has this scripture quote:

Isaiah 25:6 New International Version (NIV)

6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
    a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.

And I'm sure there is a deeper theological point to it, but as a tired mom all I could think was "wow...I won't have to do the cooking, AND they serve wine??? That IS heaven!"

[Chris in VA]

They read that verse at my brother's funeral. ❤

 

Just fwiw, our preaching priest said Advent is not only a time He comes to us, but also a time we come to Him. 

[ktgrok]

2 hours ago, Terabith said:

 

2 hours ago, Chris in VA said:

They read that verse at my brother's funeral. ❤

 

Just fwiw, our preaching priest said Advent is not only a time He comes to us, but also a time we come to Him. 

I want it read at mine too now!

And I LOVE that idea! I'm going to think on that...me coming to him. 

[moonflower]

On 12/3/2018 at 12:32 PM, Ktgrok said:

Today's message is about the risk of pursuing private happiness rather than accepting both the dark and the light times in our life. He uses the example that you don't chase a butterfly, you wait in stillness for it to land. That to focus on personal happiness too much can create an idol of happiness, and that true joy is more communal, and outward focused as much as inward. 

 

 

I'm not Christian but I am following this thread; this in particular was something I needed to hear.  Chasing the butterfly!

[Chris in VA]

On 12/3/2018 at 8:32 PM, Ktgrok said:

Today's message is about the risk of pursuing private happiness rather than accepting both the dark and the light times in our life. He uses the example that you don't chase a butterfly, you wait in stillness for it to land. That to focus on personal happiness too much can create an idol of happiness, and that true joy is more communal, and outward focused as much as inward. 

 

This is good for me to hear, as I am both an Aspie and an introvert. Right now I do not want to take the trip to Lebanon that we are leaving on this afternoon. But I look at our Archbishop, who just came in from London last night and will jet out with us this pm. He is an introvert, too. He puts himself out there to help others all.the.time. 

As for happiness, I think it is a by-product, not something to pursue. Happiness is a fleeting emotion, when contrasted with joy. That's a hard one for me, since I am very emotion-oriented. Anyway, thanks for the reflections.