Advent Meditations: Monday 12 December

Dec 12, 2022 by Jill

ON THE LITURGICAL CALENDAR- St. Spyridon, Eastern Father of the Church, 4th Century Bishop of Trimythus, and thus he became also a shepherd of rational sheep. When the First Ecumenical Council was assembled in Nicaea, he also was present, and by means of his most simple words stopped the mouths of the Arians who were wise in their own conceit. By the divine grace which dwelt in him, he wrought such great wonders that he received the surname ‘Wonderworker.” So, having tended his flock piously and in a manner pleasing to God, he reposed in the Lord about the year 350,

BIBLICAL MEDITATION – Today we use the New Testament lessons from the Orthodox Lectionary in honor of the saint of the day. Here in the Epistle, Paul offers to the reader some directives on Christian love, walking in light and wisdom with gladness and submission. As such he encourages people of faith to have no part in the sinful works of the world but be immersed in living good lives and offering a Godly example to others.

If you think about it, this is of course sounds like wise counsel but quite the challenge to undertake in these days of the holiday’s vs the holydays. Can you imagine those of us in the church taking an active stance and expressing our disapproval in the secular ways the Lord’s birth is observed If the practice of the world is said to be “unfruitful,” as being devoid of all merit for eternal life and should that not be shared and perhaps the way of walking in the light, the Advent light offered to others as an alternative?

When we hear the words this Advent from the prophet Isaiah “Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, perhaps that is not simple an internal spiritual reality but the very mandate to public witness that those who have walked in darkness rejoice because they know there is light. How would that play in the present secular Christmas culture? Perhaps we should find out?

PRAYER: Incline a merciful ear to our cry, we pray, O Gracious God, and casting light on the darkness of our hearts, visit us with the grace of your Son.

Whom we await in this most Holy Season, Amen

ADVENT DISCIPLINE/ACTIVITY – Today stop and talk with three people who are committed to the idea of celebrating a Happy Holiday but avoid the notion of Christ-mas. Ask them what the holidays means to them and then share with them this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA from the Charlie Brown Christmas

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “Advent is the beginning of the end of all in us that is not yet Christ,” — Thomas Merton, Monk

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