Saturday 1 December 2012

Saturday - Prepare the Way - Advent == Yippeee!

Prayer:   Great God,  we come to this Season of Advent ready to declare that Christ has come,  Christ is coming, and Christ will come again.  Holy Spirit, instill within us the gift of your joy so that we can prepare the way for the Christ Child.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Tomorrow is the First Sunday in the Church Season of Advent.   Advent comes from the Latin word meaning “coming”.  Prepare the Way!  Christ has come.  Christ is coming. Christ will come again.   
Advent is the time in the Church year where we prepare our hearts for the return of Christ.    We take these next 24 days,  not as a time to shop for the best  Christmas presents ever,  not as a time to figure out who is allergic to what foods for Christmas Supper,  but as a time to be in God’s presence and with great prayful hearts await the silent quiet  glorious birth of Christ.   
Yet,  what about all the Christmas advertising we see on TV or the radio or on the Internet?  What about the Christmas Tree and decorations that are gracing our Churches?  What should we do about the world’s  hurry to get into Christmas? As Christians,  we need to stop,  meditate,  pray, and reflect.    We know that Christ is coming and we celebrate his Holy Birth on December 25.  But in the meantime, as Christians,  we need the season of Advent in order to prepare our hearts and minds and souls for the coming of Christ.   A time to listen in the  stillness for God’s voice.

Together let us walk through these next 24 days in celebration of Advent.  While our focus will be upon listening in the stillness to God’s voice,  God also asks us to be Christ to our neighbours.   While this series of Daily Devotionals will focus more on  meditation  so that we can hear the voice of God,  we will also continue in the readings of St. Luke that focus upon the Ministry of Jesus.  Christ has come.  Christ is coming.  Christ will come again.   

Prayer:    Great God,  may You enlighten our hearts so that we can be a beacon of Your love in this world.  During this time of waiting for the return of Christ,  enliven our hearts to hear Your Voice.    Through our prayers and scripture readings,  we know that Christ has come,  Christ is coming,  Christ will come again.  Almighty God,  may we share this wisdom with our neighbours and our friends.     Divine Healer,  move though every part of our body and our mind dissolving all feelings, thoughts, and patterns of frustration and irritation and aggravation.  Divine Healer,  sweep away all impatience, struggle, and suffering that resides in our consciousness.  Allow us to turn our frustrations into inspiration and enthusiastic action.  Help us  O Lord,  and guide our footsteps into Your glory and goodness and love so that we can experience satisfaction in all our accomplishments You give us each day.  (Sit in silence for a few minutes and reflect on this past week and how you have seen the hand of God in your life).  We thank You, Great God,  that Christ has come,  Christ is coming, and Christ will come again.  This we ask in Your Son, our Lord,  Amen.  

Many blessings!

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