Words of Advent

This banner hangs in our church during the Advent season each year. A talented lady from our congregation made it from iron-on fabrics. Many more of her creations hang in

the sanctuary during the various seasons of the Church Year.

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PREPARE

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WATCH

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BEHOLD

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REJOICE

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That's what the season of Advent is all about.

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I could add some links, but you are surely able to Google the word "Advent" and go exploring and discovering for yourself! I will mention that yesterday, December 6, was St. Nicholas Day. When my daughter spent a college semester in The Netherlands, she experienced the celebrations in Leiden on that day......there was a big parade to welcome Sinterklaas and his helper, Zwarte Piet (Black Pete).

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One Advent link describes these weeks before Christmas as "a time of spiritual reflection, as well as cheer and anticipation". Hmm.......do frantic shopping, decorating, cleaning, baking fit the bill very well? Maybe.....maybe not.

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Have a cheerfully reflective day.......or a reflectively cheerful day.......either way, anticipating the good things to come!

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Oh, one more thing.......on my traditional Church calendar, today, December 7, is the feast day of St. Ambrose. If you have time, read this VERY interesting article........about the ADVENT of silent reading----Ambrose is mentioned. Evidently, silent reading would have at one time seemed as ludicrous as silent singing! Can we imagine a world where reading was always done OUT LOUD?! What if the the word read had been reserved for the audible version of the activity and another word chosen for taking in printed words in silence? Hmm......what would make a good word for that? Would the situation be like that of the words look/see; listen/hear; touch/feel? Maybe not. I'll just keep on doing my reading in silence.

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As of this typing......late last night.....we still had not found Betsy, our lost Australian Shepherd. I have no idea where she could be, and am sadly holding out little hope that we'll see her alive again, considering the extreme cold weather. Thank you for your concern. I'll keep you posted. (We've seen a bald eagle in the neighborhood lately.......would it or could it kill a dog, do you think?)

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