Almost every year I feel a sense of eagerness as we begin this New Year of the liturgical calendar and the four weeks of preparation towards the celebration of Christmas.
Almost every year I find myself at the fourth week having failed in my good intention to be more faithful in prayer, more attentive to the needs of others and more grateful for my many blessings.
Finally these failures make me more aware of my need for God to come more deeply into my heart, into my life and into our world.
A truer way to approach Advent is not so much to consider what I want to do or think I ought to be doing but rather to be attentive to what God is doing, how God is coming into my life and into our world, a world so deeply in need of the healing and transforming power of the Spirit.
God who is unconditional love is of course already totally present to each of us and to all of us. So what is needed for my part is an ever greater awareness of the divine presence.
A number of years ago I was in a very poor area of Cleveland to help animate a week long retreat. At a gathering of people who were involved in supporting the retreat a woman came up to me.
She was a small black woman who had obviously not had an easy life. She took my two hands in her rough little hands, looked intently into my eyes and said with deep conviction; “Love is the key, Love is the key.”
I presume this little lady is now being held joyfully in the heart of the Beloved. I am praying that her image and her words will guide me through this grace-filled time especially as we live it with Coved causing so much fear and suffering; “Love is the key, Love is the key”.