Gathering The Broken

First Sunday of Advent


"May He not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'"
                                                                                  Matthew 13: 36,37

The long waiting begins.  The  prayer flames from all the candles at Mass this morning softly speaking into the sacred light of the church as if the hem of God was dragging by.  Our singing making its way around the tall spaces and through our hearts.  Jesus is coming… has been here and is present every Mass. What joy!  What anticipation in this season of light in darkness.  The days are shortest. The nights shrouding.  And then, as if morning comes this way, a baby’s baptism.  How perfect to see the small infant lying back in her father’s arms above the font and all the love surrounding her. Trusting purely as we long to in our Father. We in the pews renewing our baptisms, our “I dos” resounding like a song; a poetry on the way of holiness. Our kneeling like thunder resounding through the Body of Christ, His Church in the world. Our intentions for the new baby like rivulets of water over her forehead. The Holy of Holy is come among us; the Lord of Love and Light and Justice and Peace; the luminous shadow of God leaning over our Christening. We truly are a family gathered in all our sinfulness and dysfunction; our motley shuffling; our voices jumbled and at times off key:  all the Saints and Hosts in heaven looking on, praying for us none-the-less.