On this Third Sunday of Advent \u2014Gaudete Sunday\u2014, or the Sunday of the Forefathers (as it is called on the Byzantine liturgical calendar) we have some things to consider.<\/p>\n
As friend drew my attention to Dietrich Bonhoeffer\u2019s reflection on Advent which really caused me to think about the state of my soul. Complacency (mediocrity) is an enemy to one\u2019s preparation to receive the Newborn Lord at Christmas. Of course, Gaudete Sunday with its exhortation to rejoice is has its own strength to mind. Here\u2019s what Bonhoeffer said: \u201cThe celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, who look forward to something greater to come. For these, it is enough to wait in humble fear until the Holy One himself comes down to us, God in the child in the manger. God comes. The Lord Jesus comes. Christmas comes. Christians rejoice!\u201d<\/p>\n
Right now I am feeling troubled of soul, poor and imperfect; sin has taken over and there is a need for reconciliation. Perhaps you are feeling something similar. The sacred Liturgy of the Latin Church for Gaudete Sunday teaches us something we need to bring to our discernment of things. Deep down in my being I know that I need to be humble in fact, and not merely as an abstraction. Deep down in my being I desire \u201cto attain the joys of so great a salvation\u201d known affectively \u201cwith solemn worship and glad rejoicing\u201d through the beauty of living reality as it is and not as I want it to be. Deep down in my being I want \u201csomething greater.\u201d I want to the Lord.<\/p>\n
Moving through the Nativity Fast that is observed by the Byzantine Church preparing for the newborn Lord, we acknowledge and desire that what the martyrs experienced, \u201cin their struggle,\u201d we may \u201creceive an incorruptible crown from you.\u201d And that \u201cWith your strength, they brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons.\u201d<\/p>\n
I can tell you from experience that the struggle against the demons is difficult. What I also know is that only God\u2019s grace and the companionship of others makes it possible to receive the gift of the incorruptible crown.<\/p>\n
Bonhoeffer names the truth for us that ought not be missed in the season\u2019s chaos \u2014our looking forward to something greater to come: \u201cHoly One himself \u2026 God in the child in the manger.\u201d
\nMay we know the substance of what the priest prays: \u201cthat with this divine sustenance [the Gospel proclaimed and preacher AND Eucharist] may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts\u201d (The Prayer after Communion).<\/p>\n
May St. Benedict guide us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On this Third Sunday of Advent \u2014Gaudete Sunday\u2014, or the Sunday of the Forefathers (as it is called on the Byzantine liturgical calendar) we have some things to consider. As friend drew my attention to Dietrich Bonhoeffer\u2019s reflection on Advent which really caused me to think about the state of my soul. Complacency (mediocrity) is … Continue reading Something greater to come<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[1870],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36157"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36157"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36159,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36157\/revisions\/36159"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}