Inspired by Scholastica

When little children make their Christmas list for Santa, they feel sure they will receive some of the things they enumerate. If they've been very, very good, they might receive most of them. But usually they know there are limits to what Santa will bring them unless they have over-indulgent parents. But with God, there are no limits to his goodness. In John's gospel for Christmas we hear, "From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." We have all been blessed with fullness, pressed down and brimming over, but we are mostly unaware of it. When we receive the fullness of God, we know it will never run out, but keeps on coming because there is no end of God's  grace. To be flooded with grace is like receiving continually flowing water. We never have to thirst or worry about running dry. It refreshes us constantly. We can do nothing to earn it; it is given to us freely. We take it all for granted most of the time.The changing beauty of the seasons...

People had been waiting a long time but their blinders kept them wandering in circles, missing what was in plain sight, unable to grasp the wonder of a Child born in a manger, in a stable with donkeys braying nearby, hidden behind cud-chewing cows. This is not what they expected, this is not the way they envisioned his coming even though the prophets foretold it eons ago. Will we continue to seek him  in places of honor, in places of power and wealth, where servants spread tables of rich food and fine wines? When will we open our eyes to the humble ways our Savior comes today: in the immigrant struggling to cross the border, in the homeless living under bridges, in the lonely elderly. in the abused and abandoned children, in the prisoner waiting on death row. Will we pass him by like the innkeeper, like Herod, like the soldiers of old blind to his unadorned disguise?

He will rejoice over you with gladness, And renew you in his love.   (Zephaniah 3:17) Is it true? Can it really be? Can I give God delight and joy in spite of my weakness, my failings? You mean I don’t have to be all shiny and clean, my blemishes covered over my rough spots sanded smooth? You say I don’t have to earn God’s love, kneel all day long, say a thousand prayers spend hours in silent sorrow? That God will still see me as lovable,   cuddle me with tenderness, lavish me with a mother’s warm embraces? This is truly good news! We must tell everyone to take off their sackcloth and celebrate with songs of gladness.

Advent always seems to get lost  between Thanksgiving and   Christmas. What’s this time all about anyway?   For Christians it’s a good reminder to slow down, reflect, anticipate, wonder. As our ancestors of old waited thousands of years for a Savior, we wait for God to make himself known to us anew during this holy season. We know that Jesus has already come, yet we get bogged down, distracted, forgetful of his presence in our world. So the Advent readings remind us to “Be alert!” “Wake up!” Your salvation is near at hand. What does this mean today for 21 st century people? For one thing, it calls us to be hopeful people. In the midst of all the conflict, confusion, and chaos around us, God assures us he is near. He wants each of us to bring his presence into the messiness of our world and do what we can to spread his peace and love. That might mean visiting shut-ins or prisoners, caring for aging relatives, writing cards to people we have not thought of for...