“Let us not resist his first coming, air of preparation, restraint, and penitence. Advent so that we might not dread the second.” Augustine of Hippo

December is a very busy month! With the end of the year approaching, all sorts of activities are culminating in a flurry hectic pace. And then we have the “Holidays” to wrestle with, too. We find ourselves, if we let this personified “Holiday” take over, shopping for the perfect gift, planning the perfect meal, writing to friends and family we want to ‘catch up with', and trying to remember that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Sometimes it seems like the more we hurry the less we live. Sometimes it is so simple. What we long for and need the most is right in front of us. Yes, the” Holidays” are here. But more importantly the season of Advent is here, too.

The season of Advent is a time of watching and waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God in power. Like the season of Lent, it shares a certain air of preparation, restraint, and penitence. Advent is also spiced with confident joy as the celebration of Christmas approaches.

An Advent Quiet Morning has been planned for Saturday, December 4 from 10:00 am until 12 noon . The hope is to have an opportunity to experience the Divine in this season of waiting and watching and to be still and enjoy the benefits that stillness brings. In quietness, people can become aware of the presence of God in their lives. Through use prayer, readings and meditating with icons we will encounter the people who tells us the Advent story - John the Baptizer, Mary, Joseph, St. Nicholas, Gabriel and Jesus. Come and wait awhile this Advent season.

Jane+