from the
1st Advent reflection of Mother Mary to the community
Advent is the time of watching, waiting, longing and yearning for the Lord to
come into our world and into our hearts. It is difficult for us, in these modern
times, to just sit and wait and listen. Our first impulse is to click on the
“Fast Forward” or the “Open” icon on the computer to bring things forward
and let it all start happening now! When we do that we miss out on something
very precious: for the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
As we know, St Benedict does not specifically mention Advent in his rule
(as he does Lent). However, at the very beginning of the Prologue I think
we could say that he sets the mood for Advent when he says:
Listen……and incline the ear of your heart.
So, during this beautiful season, let us put all distractions aside and listen,
watch, wait and be filled with longing and yearning for the Lord’s coming this
Christmas.
I think that this season of Advent is also a good time for us to listen to
St Benedict’s call to us in chapter 72 of the Rule where he encourages us to:
support with the greatest patience one another’s weaknesses of body or
behaviour.
The word “patience” is very much connected with the themes of watching and
waiting. So, when we find ourselves urged on to react negatively to one another’s infirmities or weaknesses of body or behaviour could we remember to wait,
be still and to GIFT one another with the “greatest patience”.
Let our inspiration for patience come from the magnificent Illawarra Flame
trees which have transformed our view from the church window this year……
surely they speak to us of patient watching and waiting. As we know, they
have to wait a minimum of eight years before blossoming forth in such splendour
and glory.
Let us set our boat adrift on the waters of Advent – away from the hurly burly
of the land – to simply listen and be still before the Word of God in the Mass
Readings, in the Liturgy of the Hours and in our Lectio Divina.
I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love
For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith
But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.
(TS Eliot)