LOWLY In your midst I will leave a humble and LOWLY people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord. Israel’s story begins in obscurity, with no great fame or riches to guarantee its security or growth. Its faith is a tiny flame. Each step on the …
Category Archives: Monastic
Advent Alphabet (K)
KINGDOM As you go, proclaim that theKINGDOM of heaven is close at hand.Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils Through the Old Testament texts which we hear in Advent our biblical imaginations are reminded of the major themes in the story of our salvation. We hear again the promise that …
Advent Alphabet (J)
JOY I’ve prayed the Psalter for almost thirty years. The poetry and the rhythm of our singing have the effect of, little by little, altering my inner landscape. Just about every human emotion is to be found in the Psalms. ‘Joy’ makes a frequent appearance along with ‘delight’ and ‘exultation’. The Books of Isaiah are …
Advent Alphabet (I)
Have a care for justice, act with INTEGRITY, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest. Amidst the necessary preparations for Christmas it is very easy to lose sight of the many prophetic calls that are found in the Liturgy of the Word for Advent. In the texts from the three Books …
Advent Alphabet (H)
HOLY The Almighty works marvels for me.HOLY is his name. The Magnificat begins with an invitation to praise, thanksgiving, joy and gladness. Mary sings of the marvels already done in her life, with perhaps only an inkling of what is to come. She has lived a life of quiet holiness, she has been faithful. Mary …
Advent Alphabet (G)
GLORY In the Prologue of John’s Gospel we find the themes of Life, Light, Love and Glory poetically woven together. It’s hard to separate one from the other. As the Gospel unfolds John shows us that Christ’s glory is revealed through the ‘signs’ (miracles) he performs. Glory is as much about doing as it is …
Advent Alphabet (E)
EMMANUELIsaiah’s words speak directly to the political situation of 736 BC. In the face of the growing power of Babylon, Judah is tempted to make an alliance with Assyria. Isaiah warns against this and when King Ahaz requests a sign this is what he hears: ‘The Lord himself, therefore,will give you a sign.It is this: …
Advent Alphabet (F)
FLOCK He is like a shepherd feeding his FLOCK, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes. Fluffy, clean sheep can be found on many of our Christmas cards. They look cute and comforting. For the people of Israel the image had different connotations; shepherding …
Advent Alphabet (D)
DAVID ‘Joseph, son of DAVID, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife…’ As the biblical story of salvation unfolds we see Israel watching and waiting in times of darkness, faith-filled and courageous as the way head becomes clear, and jubilant as God’s promise unfolds. Each part of the journey has depended …
Advent Alphabet (C)
‘COMFORT my people, comfort them.’ says your God The prophecies of the Books of Isaiah are integral to our prayer and worship in Advent. It’s almost impossible to hear the opening of Isaiah 40 without also hearing the plaintive tones of Handel’s Messiah. This is a God who is invested in our lives. This is …