Coming Soon to Walk With Me On Our Journey ! That Will be tomorrow! #AdventWord2020!
"A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes...and is completely dependent on the fact that
the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To you, respect." ~ Oren Arnold
"The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord" ~ Henri Nouwen
"Advent is a journey towards Bethlehem. May we let ourselves be drawn by the light of God made man." ~ Pope Francis
"In the silence of a midwinter dusk, there is a sound so faint that for all you can tell it may be only the sound of the silence itself. You hold your breath to listen. You are aware of the beating of your heart. The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment." ~ Frederick Buechner
"I don't think we'll understand Advent correctly until we see it as a preparation for a revolution." ~ Robert Barron
"Advent creates people, new people." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Here is today's calendar work:
Celtic Advent Calendar 2020! Yes it's here From Contemplative Cottage
November 28 Make a tasty something and give it away, ordonate to a local food pantry.
Stay with us, Christ, for it is evening. Make your Church bright with your radiance.
Come let us light our 14th Celtic Advent Vigil Candle in Unity and come together in a sacred circle of love.
Come let us hold sacred and loving space for one another.
Come let us be together in Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love during the upcoming season of Advent.
Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. Isaiah 2:3a
Watch at all times, praying for the strength to stand with confidence before the Son of man. Luke 21:36
Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all the world shall see it together. Isaiah 40:5
Prepare the way of the Lord, make the paths straight, and all the world shall see the salvation of God. Luke 3:4, 6
Restore us again O God: show us the light of your face and we shall be saved. Psalm 80:3
According to the riches of God’s glory, may you be strengthened with the might through the Holy Spirit in your inner being, and may Christ dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19
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Prayer of Abandonment to God by Charles de Foucauld (Celtic Daily Prayer Meditations Day 4):
Father, I abandon myself into Your hands.
Do with me what You will; whatever You do, I will thank You.
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only Your will be done in me, as in all Your creatures,
and I’ll ask nothing else, my Lord.
Into Your hands I commend my spirit;
I give it to You with all the love of my heart,
for I love You, Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into Your hands with a trust beyond measure,
because You are my Father. Amen.
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THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES
Lest we forget the great traditions of freedom and faith which are the heritage of humanity; lest we forget the pioneers, the statesmen, the bridge builders, the artists; and lest we forget You, the God of our fore bears who is our God also:
We light this candle of remembrance.
For the hope of a better world, in which righteousness and peace shall prevail among the people of the earth, and to create which is the task of the generations in which we stand, as well as for the courage and faith we shall need if we are to carry on this unfinished work:
We light this candle of consecration.
May the flame upon the altar of free faith shine in our hearts al ways, reminding us of the dark places to which we may carry light and strengthening us in every moment of doubt and discouragement with unwavering faith in You whom we serve and whose we are.
The Light of Christ in me Recognizes the Light of Christ in you!"
Psalm 33:12–22
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord! *
happy the people he has chosen to be his own!
13 The Lord looks down from heaven, *
and beholds all the people in the world.
14 From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze *
on all who dwell on the earth.
15 He fashions all the hearts of them *
and understands all their works.
16 There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army; *
a strong man is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The horse is a vain hope for deliverance; *
for all its strength it cannot save.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, *
on those who wait upon his love,
19 To pluck their lives from death, *
and to feed them in time of famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord; *
he is our help and our shield.
21 Indeed, our heart rejoices in him, *
for in his holy Name we put our trust.
22 Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, *
as we have put our trust in you.
A Song of True Motherhood
Julian of Norwich
God chose to be our mother in all things *and so made the foundation of his work,
most humbly and most pure, in the Virgin’s womb.
God, the perfect wisdom of all, *
arrayed himself in this humble place.
Christ came in our poor flesh *
to share a mother’s care.
Our mothers bear us for pain and for death; *
our true mother, Jesus, bears us for joy and endless life.
Christ carried us within him in love and travail, *
until the full time of his passion.
And when all was completed and he had carried us so for joy, *
still all this could not satisfy the power of his wonderful love.
All that we owe is redeemed in truly loving God, *
for the love of Christ works in us;
Christ is the one whom we love.
Acts 17:22-31
22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26From one ancestor* he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27so that they would search for God* and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said,
“For we too are his offspring.”
29Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’
A Song of Pilgrimage Priusquam errarem
Ecclesiasticus 51:13-16,20b-22
Before I ventured forth,
even while I was very young, *
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
In the forecourts of the temple I asked for her, *
and I will seek her to the end.
From first blossom to early fruit, *
she has been the delight of my heart.
My foot has kept firmly to the true path, *
diligently from my youth have I pursued her.
I inclined my ear a little and received her; *
I found for myself much wisdom and became adept in her.
To the one who gives me wisdom will I give glory, *
for I have resolved to live according to her way.
From the beginning I gained courage from her, *
therefore I will not be forsaken.
In my inmost being I have been stirred to seek her, *
therefore have I gained a good possession.
As my reward the Almighty has given me the gift of language,*
and with it will I offer praise to God.
Matthew 25:31-40
The Judgement of the Nations
31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 37Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 40And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,* you did it to me.”
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.
O God, who called your servants Kamehameha and Emma to an earthly throne that they might advance your heavenly kingdom, and gave them zeal for your church and love for your people: Mercifully grant that we also may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious crown of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Beatitudes
O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while he
was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer
for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them
from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them
from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from
despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their
witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be
cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus
Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. 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
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Micah 6:8 8He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
In Times of Conflict
O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us,
in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront
one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work
together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those
who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law
and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of
us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Tonight let us now enter our sanctuaries in our heart homes for a time of quiet and holy listening. Practice your breathing and mindfulness exercises with these adapted forms of the "Be Stills".
Let us start with a variation on this:
Be Still and Know That I am God.
Be Still and know
Be
Inhale God's Love for you
Exhale Your Love for God, each other ,our family members , and yourself.
Listen with Love in your heart.
Be still and listen to God
Be still and listen
Be still
Be
Inhale God's Love for you
Exhale Your Love for God, each other ,our family members and yourself.
Listen with Joy in your Soul
Be still and listen
Be still
Be
Listen for hope in the world.
Inhale God's Love for you
Exhale Your Love for God, each other , our family members and yourself.
Be sill and listen
Be still
Be
Inhale God's Love for you
Exhale Your Love for God, each other, our family members,and yourself.
Listen and pray for peace.
Be still and know
Be still
Be
Listen for God
Listen to God's voice
Listen to God's message
Listen to the sufferings of God's Fragile and Broken World.
Prayers in the stillness. If you so desire you may do a virtual labyrinth to add to your meditation.
*Those may be replaced with names, or by using Family Members.
Quiet our minds O God so that we can listen and hear your voice and what you are calling us to do and to be.
Help us to be still and listen to that quiet place in our heart and spirit. Help us to unwind our minds O God.
Quiet our bodies that we may turn our bodies from human doings to human beings.
Take the keys away that drive our bodies to do and not be.
Help us to feel our spirits and the indwelling of You and the Holy Spirit in this time of being quiet and still.
May our spirits be enlivened even in the quietness.
Lord we pray for all who are traveling may they take time to rest and be alert.
Lord help us to lay down our burdens each day at your feet so that we may find rest and spend time with You.
Give us the peace of mind that we are always seeking.
While we spend time with you Lord please take care of all of our loved ones and those whom we have been praying for. If we should fall asleep and rest be with them as we rest in the quietness.
In the stillness O Lord may we drink of the Living Water of Life and be refreshed and feel it coursing through our veins and give us the energy to do your will to your glory and in service to others.
In the stillness we remember and pray for all those who have requested our prayers for themselves and on behalf of others________________________________.
In the stillness we give thanks for the gifts of quiet, contemplation, rest, and times for our bodies, minds, and spirits to be renewed. We give thanks for__________________________
In the stillness we celebrate those times of joy and those who have made a difference in our lives remembering_____________________
In the stillness we remember those who have entered in to life eternal especially________________And we remember those continue to grieve.
We pray for those awaiting surgery tomorrow. Calm their fears and anxieties Lord.
We pray for those who are being beset by bad weather O Lord. Ease these weather patterns Lord.
We pray for those who live in earthquake prone areas. Quiet their minds and give them the peace and knowledge that You O God are there.
Lord God watch over this your troubled and divided world. Set us on fire to help heal and unite it with our prayers, love, service, and actions. Give us grace, courage and love energy to do this in Your Name. Amen.
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.
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one
accord to make our common supplication to you; and you
have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two
or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the
midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions
as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of
your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Romans 15:13
I have brought you to this place.
Drink in the silence. Seek solitude.
Listen to the silence.
It will teach you. It will build strength
Let others share it with you.
It is little to be found elsewhere.
Silence will speak more to you in a day than the world of voices can teach you in a lifetime.
Find silence. Find solitude – and having discovered her riches, bind her to your heart.
Frances J. Roberts
