Advent - traditional understanding is a time of waiting, conversion and of hope:

waiting-memory of the first, humble coming of the Lord in our mortal flesh; waiting-supplication for his final, glorious coming as Lord of History and universal Judge;

conversion, to which the Liturgy at this time often refers quoting the prophets, especially John the Baptist, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mt 3,2);

joyful hope that the salvation already accomplished by Christ (cf. Rm 8, 24-25) and the reality of grace in the world, will mature and reach their fulness, thereby granting us what is promised by faith, and "we shall become like him for we shall see him as he really is" (John 3,2).


As part of my advent preparation (or in the old language: discipline!) I have been reading each day from a collection of writings, Watch for the Light I was particularly struck by a short passage from Edith Stein, which made a nice change from the lengthy extracts earlier in the week from Karl Rahner and Meister Eckhart.

Edith wrote (and I quote more than what is published in the anthology): The Christian mysteries are an indivisible whole. If we become immersed in one, we are led to all the others. Thus the way from Bethlehem leads inevitably to Golgotha, from the crib to the Cross. (Simon's) prophecy announced the Passion, the fight between light and darkness that already showed itself before the crib. The star of Bethlehem shines in the night of sin. The shadow of the Cross falls on the light that shines from the crib. This light is extinguished in the darkness of Good Friday, but it rises all the more brilliantly in the sun of grace on the morning of the Resurrection. The way of the incarnate Son of God leads through the Cross and Passion to the glory of the Resurrection. In His company the way of every one of us, indeed of all humanity, leads through suffering and death to this same glorious goal.

It is only love that can conquer suffering, sin and evil. Love triumphs, the second reading at Holy Mass for the second Sunday of advent reinforces this: that the one who began the good work in you you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1). Love rules, keeps us focused and enables us to endure the waiting.

It's been a long hard week: the pain of people enduring the suicide of a young man, a family coming to terms with a miscarriage, a woman having a mastectomy, a woman attacking her mother and a support worker outside the bookshop with a baseball bat, ongoing news from a internet friend of a young man with bowel cancer, and so many others; all with their own story. My own woes pale into insignificance almost. For all who have shared with me, in the flesh and over the internet, my prayers continue:

Come Lord Jesus! Come again, into this suffering world and bring peace, hope and healing. AMEN!!