Advent and Chanukah greetings

My dear Friends

In some ways Advent is more interesting than Christmas because we have the JOY of waiting, in expectation for the coming of the Messiah, the Christ child. And we are waiting for something else too-the end of our present age and the advent of the next one. These reflections are called eschatological in the Church.

'What we are waiting for is what He has promised, a place where righteousness may be at home.'

How much we long for that! No wonder Advent is one of the penitential seasons with Lent, as we prepare ourselves carefully for this event. The readings at Mass are all about end time and looking forward to the perfect age when there really wil be a kingdom of justice and peace on earth.

'The Virgin will bear a child and you call His name Emanuel, which means God with us.'

This prophecy is taken from the book of Isaiah which, if examined carefully, contains a lot of hidden references to the coming of Christ. It was the scroll of Isaiah that Jesus read in the Synagogue at Nazareth, telling the congregation that the prophecy was being fulfilled befroe their very eyes, i.e in His person.

Christmas is very special but let us not forget this 'waiting' time in which we must hold ourselves ready and alert for the coming of the Kingdom. Time takes on a special meaning at the moment and is charged with the expectancy of the birth of Jesus, in the end so humbly.

The Light coming into the world is also reflected in a Jewish Feast -Chanukah, the 8 day Feast of lights. It too is a time of miracles: the Romans sacked the Temple and Judas Macabeus and his followers went to see if they could restore it. They found that the ner tamid, the everlasting lamp above the ark had gone out and there was only enough oil to last one day. Then God made a miracle and it lasted for 8 days until they could get replenishments. So the light was preserved.

I wish you a time of grace and light
Shalom from
Sister Gila