Day 8 of Celtic Advent ! 40 days of action and expectation! A time to give thanks and step into the gratitude zone!

Good Evening Dear Family of Love!

Happy Thanksgiving and Day 8 of Celtic Advent! Today we will enter the gratitude zone and give thanks for all that God has given us. This is a time to slow down and be aware of God's abundance and give thanks. We don't need to spend time spinning our wheels today. We need to be together as the Family of Love! We take these times for granted and shouldn't. I am grateful to God for you and our time we spend together as family, friends, and neighbors, sacred space, healing circle, just to name a few. So dear ones let us take time in silence and enter the gratitude zone, make vigil, and pray! I love you all very much! Our lessons will be from the feast day of C.S. Lewis. Our action items from the Celtic Advent Calendar are this: Today - CS Lewis Day Appreciate an animal companion today Aslan Lives! - Tomorrow: Make a meal for someone in need or visit someone who is lonely. 


Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Let us ponder these quotes from C.S. Lewis!

"Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it." ~ C. S. Lewis

"Nobody who gets enough food and clothing in a world where most are hungry and cold has any business to talk about 'misery.'" ~ C. S. Lewis

"I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia." ~ C. S. Lewis

"We meet no ordinary people in our lives." ~ C. S. Lewis

"You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down." ~ C. S. Lewis

"In such a fearful world, we need a fearless church" ~ C. S. Lewis

"Life is too deep for words, so don't try to describe it, just live it." ~ C. S. Lewis

"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done." ~ C. S. Lewis

"Nothing is really ours until we share it." ~ C. S. Lewis

"If we only have the will to walk, then God is pleased with our stumbles." ~ C. S. Lewis

"God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love." ~ C. S. Lewis

"Love is unselfishly choosing for another's highest good." ~ C. S. Lewis

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and those who are afraid are not perfected in love. We love because God first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother or sister, that person is a liar; for those who do not love their brothers and sisters whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:18-20

Light of the World Phos hilaron

Light of the world, in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.

Psalm 134 Ecce nunc

Behold now, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, *
you that stand by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD; *
the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

Psalm 141:1-3,8ab Domine, clamavi

O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,
and guard the door of my lips; *
let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
My eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *
in you I take refuge.

Let us light our candles and walk in the light and enter silently into the Gratitude Zone and Give Thanks To God. Take time to begin a gratitude journal and write down what you are grateful for during this retreat time. 

Hymn


Hail, gladdening Light, of God’s pure glory poured,
Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of holies, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now we are come to the sun’s hour of rest,
The lights of evening round us shine,
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine.

Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung,
With undefilèd tongue,
Son of our God, Giver of life, alone!
Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own.

Psalm 139:1-9

139 Domine, probasti
1 Lord, you have searched me out and known me; *
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.

2 You trace my journeys and my resting-places *
and are acquainted with all my ways.

3 Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, *
but you, O Lord, know it altogether.

4 You press upon me behind and before *
and lay your hand upon me.

5 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; *
it is so high that I cannot attain to it.

6 Where can I go then from your Spirit? *
where can I flee from your presence?

7 If I climb up to heaven, you are there; *
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.

8 If I take the wings of the morning *
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

9 Even there your hand will lead me *
and your right hand hold me fast.

The Song of Mary Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *

for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *

you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,

and holy is your name.

You have mercy on those who fear you *

from generation to generation.

You have shown strength with your arm *

and scattered the proud in their conceit,

Casting down the mighty from their thrones *

and lifting up the lowly.

You have filled the hungry with good things *

and sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *

for you have remembered your promise of mercy,

The promise made to our forebears, *

to Abraham and his children for ever.

1 Peter 1:3-9

A Living Hope

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you rejoice,^* even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, ⁷so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Although you have not seen^*him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

A Song of Judith

Judith 16:13-16

I will sing a new song to my God, *

for you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible.

Let the whole creation serve you, *

for you spoke and all things came into being.

You sent your breath and it formed them, *

no one is able to resist your voice.

Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths, *

rocks melt like wax at your presence.

But to those who fear you, *

you continue to show mercy.

No sacrifice, however fragrant, can please you, *

but whoever fears the Lord shall stand in your sight for ever.

John 16:7-15

⁷Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate^* will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about^* sin and righteousness and judgement: ⁹about sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; ¹¹about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

A Song of Our True Nature

Julian of Norwich

Christ revealed our frailty and our falling, *

our trespasses and our humiliations.

Christ also revealed his blessed power, *

his blessed wisdom and love.

He protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need; *

he raises us in spirit

and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.

God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature;

*

God is the true father and mother of natures.

We are all bound to God by nature, *

and we are all bound to God by grace.

And this grace is for all the world, *

because it is our precious mother, Christ.

For this fair nature was prepared by Christ

for the honor and nobility of all, *

and for the joy and bliss of salvation.

O God of searing truth and surpassing beauty, we give you thanks for Clive Staples Lewis whose sanctified imagination lights fires of faith in young and old alike; Surprise us also with your joy and draw us into that new and abundant life which is ours in Christ Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Dearest God-

I'm thankful for You Lord and your wonderful and wonder-filled creation.

I'm thankful for opportunities to prayer walk and talk to you in the sweet and comforting breeze.

I'm thankful for my family all over the world and in cyberspace.

I'm thankful for the gifts both known and unknown that you continue to have me unwrap.

I'm thankful for this country and my ancestors who came to this country yearning to be free to believe.

I'm thankful for your love, comfort, and redeeming grace that sustains me day after day and in the night watches.

I'm thankful for my family who I'm knit together by blood.

I'm thankful for the many loved ones who now reside in the heavenly places.

I'm thankful for ______________________________

I pray  for all those who are alone, the widowed, divorced, and outcast.

I pray for those who have chronic pain and illness this day. I pray that they could enjoy some of the holiday.

I pray for_________________________________

I pray and give thanks for our faith communities and all religious leaders.

We pray for those who have to work this day. We pray that they may have time for rest and play.

Lord we lift these Thanksgivings and petitions to you this day and send them to you with love and compassion in our hearts. Amen.

Matthew 5:1-12New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Lord’s Prayer or the alternative is said. From A New Zealand Prayer Book

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and for ever. Amen.

Or

Eternal Spirit,

Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,

Source of all that is and that shall be,

Father and Mother of us all,

Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!

The way of your justice be followed by the peoples

of the world!

Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!

Your commonwealth of peace and freedom

sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us.

In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.

In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.

From trials too great to endure, spare us.

From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,

now and for ever. Amen.

God our rock and refuge: keep us safe in your care and strengthen us with your grace, that we may pray to you faithfully and love one another boldly, following the example of Jesus, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives for ever and ever. Amen. (source: Veronese Sacramentary)

Holy Wisdom, in your loving kindness you created and restored us when we were lost: inspire us with your truth, that we may love you with our whole minds and run to you with open hearts, through Christ our Savior. Amen. (source: Alcuin of York, Mass of Wisdom)

A Collect for Peace

Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right

judgements, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that

peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be

fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered

from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness;

through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen. 

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”


― Teresa of Ávila

We Join together in prayer

We join our hearts with all of our brothers and sisters all over the world God as your family of love, peace, and mercy to pray for our family members who have become refugees, outcasts, and the persecuted.

We join together with and to pray for all of our family members who are poor, oppressed, outcast, and impoverished in so many ways.

We join our hands and hearts in love and pray for peace. God may we with you become peace makers.

We join our hands, feet, eyes, ears, and voices in service to you God.

We join our voices to speak truth to power and to speak out for the least of these.

We join our minds to help become the educated Children of God.

We join our hands and hearts in prayers for those who have come to us asking for prayers on behalf of others.

We join our hearts in prayer with those who mourn and those who are keeping vigil at the bedside of their loved ones who are transitioning into the glorious Heavenly Thin Places.

We join our prayers for those who are dying and those who have died today.

We join our bodies to help become stewards of God's Cathedral of life.

We join our hearts in love and pray for an end to hate and violence.

We join together to pray that there may be an end to war and terror in this Your Fragile and broken world O God.

We join together to add our prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances to you now O God_______________

Accept these our prayers in the Name of your only Son Jesus. Amen.

Light a candle and make vigil, a vigil of gratitude and thanksgiving. 

Now let us listen these  hymns if you would like to sing along you may do so:We Gather Together and also We Plough the Fields and Scatter

The following prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer

Thanksgiving Day

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the

fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those

who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of

your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and

the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with

you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Thanksgivings for National Life

 For the Nation

Almighty God, giver of all good things:

We thank you for the natural majesty and beauty of this land.

They restore us, though we often destroy them.

Heal us.

We thank you for the great resources of this nation. They

make us rich, though we often exploit them.

Forgive us.

We thank you for the men and women who have made this

country strong. They are models for us, though we often fall

short of them.

Inspire us.

We thank you for the torch of liberty which has been lit in

this land. It has drawn people from every nation, though we

have often hidden from its light.

Enlighten us.

We thank you for the faith we have inherited in all its rich

variety. It sustains our life, though we have been faithless

again and again.

Renew us.

Help us, O Lord, to finish the good work here begun.

Strengthen our efforts to blot out ignorance and prejudice,

and to abolish poverty and crime. And hasten the day when

all our people, with many voices in one united chorus, will

glorify your holy Name. Amen.

For the Diversity of Races and Cultures

O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you
for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world.
Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship, and
show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until
our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all
your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 For the Beauty of the Earth

We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of

earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains,

and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers.

We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may

safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue

to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation,

to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.

 For the Harvest

Most gracious God, by whose knowledge the depths are

broken up and the clouds drop down the dew: We yield thee

hearty thanks and praise for the return of seed time and harvest,

for the increase of the ground and the gathering in of its fruits,

and for all other blessings of thy merciful providence

bestowed upon this nation and people. And, we beseech thee,

give us a just sense of these great mercies, such as may appear

in our lives by a humble, holy, and obedient walking before

thee all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom,

with thee and the Holy Ghost be all glory and honor, world

without end. Amen.

Hymn

God be in my head, and in my understanding;

God be in my eyes, and in my looking;

God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;

God be in my heart, and in my thinking;

God be at my end, and at my departing.

A Litany of Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so

freely bestowed upon us.

For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and

sky and sea.

We thank you, Lord.

For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women,

revealing the image of Christ,

We thank you, Lord.

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and

our friends,

We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,

We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,

We thank you, Lord.

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering

and faithful in adversity,

We thank you, Lord.

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,

We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,

We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and

promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;

To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the

Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Christ be within us to keep us, 

beside us to guard, 

before us to lead, 

behind us to protect, 

beneath us to support, 

above us to bless.

 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Eat this bread, drink this cup - Taize

Eat this bread drink this cup those who come to Him will never be hungry

eat this bread drink this cup trust in Him and you will hold fast Jesus Christ Bread of Life Those who come to you will not hunger Jesus Christ Risen Lord Those who trust in you will hold fast Christ is the bread of life The true bread sent from above Eat this bread Drink this cup

Come to him and never be hungry Eat this bread Drink this cup Trust in Him and you will hold fast Our ancestors ate manna in the desert this is the bread that came from Heaven Jesus Christ Bread of Life Those who trust in him will not hunger Jesus Christ Risen Lord Those who trust in him will hold fast Eat this bread Drink this cup and Christ will raise you up on the Last Day Eat this bread

Drink this cup come to Him and never be hungry Eat ths bread Drink this cup Trust in Him and you will hold fast Anyone who eats this bread will live forever Jesus Christ Bread of Life Those who come will not hunger Jesus Christ Risen Lord Those who trust in you will not hunger If we believe and eat this bread we will have eternal life Eat this bread Drink this cup come to him and never be hungry eat this bread drink this cup trust in him and you will hold fast Jesus Christ Bread of Life Those who come to you will not hunger Jesus Christ Risen Lord Those who trust in you will hold fast

Taize

The Song of Simeon Nunc dimittis

Luke 2:29-32

Lord, you now have set your servant free *

to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *

whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations, *

and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Wisdom of God

the Love of God

and the Grace of God

strengthen us

to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world,

in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.

(source: Celtic)

Blessing

See that ye be at peace among yourselves, my children,

and love one another.

Follow the example of the wise and good

and God will comfort you and help you,

both in this world

and in the world which is to come.

Here today's Celtic Rite of Compline from the Northumbria Community may be added!

Thursday – The Ebba Compline

Ebba was the sister of Oswald and Oswy, who were both kings of Northumbria. She was consecrated a nun by Aidan and founded the ‘double’ (i.e. there were both men and women there) monastery at Coldingham, situated on St Abbs’s Head (which was subsequently named after her). Ebba died in the year 683. Bede described her as a ‘pious woman and a handmaid of Christ.’



If this Compline is being used in a group setting the * notation indicates a change of reader; words in bold are said all together; words in bold italic are said by each person in turn; and + indicates where you might make the sign of the cross.

+ (silently)

* Find rest, O my soul, in God alone:
my hope comes from Him.

Come I this night to the Father,
come I this night to the Son,
come I to the Holy Spirit powerful:
come I this night to God.
Come I this night with Christ,
come I with the Spirit of kindness.
Come I to Thee, Jesus.
Jesus, shelter me.

* I will lie down and sleep.
I wake again,
because the Lord sustains me.

* By day the Lord directs His love;
at night His song is with me –
a prayer to the God of my life.

* Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord.

* This dwelling, O God, by Thee be blest;
and each one who here this night does rest.

* May God be in my sleep;
may Christ be in my dreams.
May the Spirit be in my repose,
in my thoughts, in my heart.
In my soul always
may the Sacred Three dwell.

May the Father of heaven
have care of my soul,
His loving arm about my body,
through each slumber
and sleep of my life.

The Son of God be shielding me from harm,
the Son of God be shielding me from ill,
the Son of God be shielding me with power.
The Son of God be shielding me this night.

* Sleep, O sleep in the calm of each calm.
Sleep, O sleep in the guidance of all guidance.
Sleep, O sleep in the love of all loves.
Sleep, O beloved, in the Lord of life.
Sleep, O beloved, in the God of life.

The peace of all peace
be mine this night
+ in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Today’s Meditation

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following Your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please You
does in fact please You.
And I hope that I have that desire
in all that I am doing.

And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road
although I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust You always,
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death,
I will not fear, for You are ever with me,
and will never leave me
to face my perils alone.

Thomas Merton

+++++

Good Night All! I love you and give God thanks for you this day and always! There aren't enough words to express how grateful I am to you and our community. Just know you are held deeply in my heart home and you matter. 

Here are 10 C.S. Lewis Quotes on Prayer

“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” 

“It is much easier to pray for a bore than to go visit him.” 

“For most of us the prayer in Gethsemane is the only model. Removing mountains can wait.” 

“We must lay before him what is in us; not what ought to be in us.” 

“A concentrated mind and a sitting body make for better prayer than a kneeling body and a mind half asleep.”

“For prayer is request. The essence of request, as distinct from compulsion, is that it may or may not be granted.”  

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” 

“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” 

“You can't know, you can only believe—or not.”

Take time to ponder the above in the night watches. I will meet you again tomorrow as we go through the wardrobe and further into the Gratitude Zone. 

Love and baskets full of gratitude!

Sara

Resources

Satucket Lectionary Page: C. S. Lewis

A to Z Quotes

Book of Common Prayer

Enriching our Worship

Quote sites for prayers

Northumbria Community

A New Zealand Prayer Book

Walk With Me On Our Journey

Contemplative Cottage

Here is a helpful calendar that will lead us through the season: Celtic Advent Calendar 2018. 

The below are from the Northumbria Community

Celtic Advent: November 16th

This was the traditional beginning of monastic fasting and preparation for the feast of Christmas, reflecting Lent in lasting for forty days. We seek to prepare the way for the Lord to come right to the centre of our lives. Every valley and pot-hole should be filled in, every mountain and hill levelled and every obstacle removed. The mountains are the wrongs we do, and the pot-holes are the good things we fail to do.

It is said that the door to the stable where the Christ-child has been born is very low – and only those who kneel find access. Being ready for Christmas should mean that our thoughts are focused not just on letters, cards, food and drink, and presents, but on repentance, humility and interior ‘house-cleaning’. The more we prepare in this way, the less we will be overwhelmed by the commercialisation of Christmas.

Prepare a way for the Lord!

Show me, Lord Jesus, how I may best prepare to celebrate Your birth into this world. Show me those things I need to repent of, that I may find Your forgiveness. Show me how to avoid the greed and selfishness of this season and focus on what is truly essential. Amen

Tomorrow's Feast Day along with Thanksgiving:

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) November 22nd (Northumbria Community)

Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast, but preferred to be called ‘Jack’. His father was a solicitor and his mother, who died when Jack was a child, was a clergyman’s daughter. His time as a boy was spent with his brother, or more often reading alone in an attic full of books. As an academic at Oxford he taught English at Magdalen College. As he tells in his book ‘Surprised by Joy’, he recognised the existence of God in 1929 and came to belief in Jesus in 1931.

He was a brilliant Christian apologist. His radio broadcasts, now collected as ‘Mere Christianity’, made theology practical and accessible for ordinary people when much of the Church was awash with modernism and scepticism. His ‘Screwtape Letters’ – the writings of a fictional demon – alerted a whole generation to the stratagems of hell, the existence of which many Christians no longer retained the courage to believe in.

His science fiction trilogy and the seven ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ allow all who have been scared by the ‘watchful dragons’ of religion to experience awe, joy and wondering love in the presence of One who, in our world, is known by a different name. He was a friend of J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Williams and was profoundly influenced by the writings of George MacDonald.

As a middle-aged professor he married, and then fell in love with, Joy Davidman, an American divorcée with two young sons. Her death devastated and deepened him, prompting the poem ‘As the ruin falls’.

Instead of a prayer today, a meditation in C.S. Lewis’s own words, also found in C.D.P. Finan Readings June 6th. Let our prayer arise out of it:

Love’s as hard as nails. Love is nails: blunt, thick, hammered through the medial nerves of One who, having made us, knew the thing that He had done: seeing (with all that is) our cross, and His.

Tomorrow's Celtic Saint of the Day:

Columbanus (538-615) November 23rd

A tireless Irish missionary monk working in Europe, Columbanus established two main foundations, at Luxeuil and Bobbio. He was no stranger to hardship, persecution and controversy. He was also known for the strictness of the Rule of Life that he and his followers observed; this rule was widely adopted.

In his ‘Letter to a Young Disciple’ he gives advice, including: Be helpful when you are at the bottom of the ladder and be the lowest when you are in authority. Be guileless in friendship, astute in the face of deceit. Keep your options open when there is no problem, but dig in when you must choose. Be pleasant when things are unpleasant, and sorrowful when they are pleasant. Disagree where necessary, but be in agreement about truth. Be slow to anger, swift to learn, slow also to speak, as St James says, equally swift to hear. Be up and doing to make progress, slack to take revenge, careful in word, eager in work. Be gentle to the weak, firm to the stubborn, steadfast to the proud, humble to the lowly. Never be greedy, but always generous – if not in money, then in spirit. Be persistent in study, unshaken in turmoil, joyful in suffering. Be respectful to the worthy, merciful to the poor. Be mindful of favours, unmindful of wrongs. Be a lover of the ordinary man, and do not wish for riches. Obey your seniors, keep up with your juniors, equal your equals, emulate the perfect. Do not envy your betters, or grieve at those who surpass you, or censure those who fall behind, but agree with those who urge you on. Weep and rejoice at the same time – out of zeal and hope.

Teach me, my Lord, to be true to the calling I have from You, true to the Rule I have promised to follow, and true to all the people You give me to love and serve. So may I show Your goodness, truth and love in every part of my life. Amen.