An Advent Correction :)

Isn’t Advent all about making a course correction to allow the time and space for God’s Love to shine into our lives? I realized this morning that I inadvertently included yesterday’s reflection in our Advent booklet twice. Here is the Advent reflection that is supposed to be in the booklet for today:

Day 12: Thursday, December 9, 2021

ADVENT THEME: PEACE

Luke 1: 59-62 “On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” They said to her, ‘There is no one among your relatives who has that name.’ Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.”

REFLECTION
The angel had taken away Zechariah’s voice soon after giving him the news about the coming birth of his son because he didn’t want Zechariah to tell everyone about it and potentially limit the good that God was actively bringing into the world. How hard it must have been—and how humbling!—for Zechariah to know he had to be silenced so that God’s Love could unfold as planned.

And yet we can see that in our own circumstances today. Perhaps in many cases, the wisest, most loving, most supportive thing in our contentious time is to simply keep our peace, be kind, and look to God to unfold the story of Love among us in the best possible way. And when Zechariah confirmed the words of his spouse (and followed the angel’s instructions), his ability to speak was restored. And the first thing he did? He praised God!

Our life is love, and peace, and tenderness; and bearing one with another, and forgiving one another, and not laying accusations one against another; but praying one for another, and helping one another up with a tender hand. Isaac Penington, 1667

Sorry about that! Have a great and loving day. 🙂

Katherine