Advent

I share here the reflection that I'll be giving at the start of Mass the first Sunday of Advent:

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This morning we gather to begin together our celebration of the season of Advent.

We will reflect together this advent on the theme of listening:
this week, we listen with John the Baptist, for John the Baptist, to John the Baptist.

John is one of our best advent guides - he goes to the desert to listen,
to hear the voice of God, the voice of the coming God.
He will urge us to take time from our busy lives and schedules to listen.
to take stock, indeed to examine the quality of our listening.
what are the voices that capture our attention?
what are the sounds that enchant and entice us?
what is the music that resounds in our minds and hearts?
can we hear the voice of our God - coming, calling, loving?

Our opening song will urge us to "look east."
Here in western europe we look east to Bethlehem - the same is true for the americas.
But those of us who come from africa look north to Bethlehem.
- those of us who come from asia & the pacific look west to Bethlehem.
- those of us who come from eastern europe look south to Bethlehem.

It strikes me that if the world all turns to Bethlehem,
we will also turn to each other, seeing each other in Christ.
we turn to each other, in love and service.
we turn easily to brothers and sisters, to family and friends.
in this season we are also invited to turn to strangers and even to enemies,
we listen for the coming of Christ who calls us to love
and we find in christ the courage to love when it is more difficult.

We light the advent candle, the sign of our advent listening.
And we sign "people look east, [and north, and west, and south], the time is near.
"Love our guest is on the way."