Advent Meditations: Tuesday 19 December

Dec 19, 2023 by Jill

ON THE LITURGICAL CALENDAR – St. Samthann of Clonbroney, 739 A.D
 This feast day may sound invented to some, but the fact is Samthann of Clonbroney was a saint. She is not well known today, though her influence on Celtic Christianity was profound. She was not a reformer, but simply a holy person in the story of the Celtic Church. She fled an arranged marriage to become a nun, becoming a student in the discipline of spiritual life under Saint Cognat at Ernaide.  She founded Clonbroney (Cluain-Bronach) Abbey in County Longford, a house that refused large donations for fear of losing the simplicity of their lives. There has been a good bit written of about ANAMCHARA and the soul friend relationship with the young monk Maelruin. Like John of the Cross and Teresa, these two framed the Ceile De, the most powerful reform within the history of Celtic Christianity

BIBLICAL MEDITATION – In the Epistle from Peter, we see that the great saint wanted to be sure that the Lord’s people would not forget God’s work and God’s Word. And he wrote this for us as well. We like the people at that time are not static people – we are either going forward or backward. Increasing in knowledge or decreasing. Immersed in the glory of the Gospel promises or adverse to it. We all ebb and flow. So, Peter is reminding them not because they are dumb but because we lose our way at times when we are not reminded or intentional about becoming more like Christ. For those of us firmly established in the truth.  He wants us to stay that way. In this time of the holiday season, even the best of us can lose our perspective as to what the truth of this season is about, and we must be earnest about letting that shine through at all times. 

PRAYER: Gracious God, empower me to persevere this season following You even into difficult spaces. In the tasks and relationships of this day, let me work and serve heartily as being for You and not just for human approval. Let my choices this Advent not be out of convenience but conviction and that my convictions remain true to You and Your word. In these closing days of Advent, whatever happens in conversations, food preparations, church ministries, or relational encounters, I will be rooted in Your grace throughout. AMEN

Spiritual Discipline/Activity – Go to the link for the scene of Linus and Charlie Brown https://youtu.be/WXShaNdyRmQ engaging about the real meaning of Christmas and write down some names of people you think may have forgotten this truth. Pray for each one and then send this link with a note saying I was reminded of this and thought you might appreciate it as well

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “we ought to act with GOD in the greatest simplicity, speaking to Him frankly and plainly, and imploring His assistance in our affairs, just as they happen. That GOD never failed to grant it, as he had often experienced.” ― Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God 

Third O Antiphon: O Root of Jesse

LATIN: O radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.

ENGLISH: Come, Flower of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: save us without delay.O Come, thou Rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan’s tyranny; from depths of hell thy people save, and give them victory o’er the grave

SYMBOLISM In the O Antiphons today we recall and pray O Root of Jesse”  thus recalling the OT imagery where the Jesse Tree represents Jesus’ family tree as seen in Isaiah 11:1, in which Jesus is referred to as a shoot coming up from the stump of Jesse, the father of David. So this day we pray O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the nations will do homage.

SONG FOR THE DAY – O Righteous Branch by Caroline Cobb 

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