Advent is the Carmelite season

As Advent is almost upon us I reproduce extracts from an Advent sermon given by Fr Michael-Joseph of Saint Therese OCD - courtesy of the Washington OCD Province website: ‘Advent is the Carmelite season; it speaks so much to who we are. Way back early in seminary I picked up a little book called ‘John of the Cross, Advent Saint’. I can’t remember anything else from this book, but the title at least stuck with me! The Advent themes of silence, prayer, loving attentiveness in the midst of darkness, speak so well of our habitual attitudes and desires as Carmelites. Embracing more fully this attitude for Advent will make us a blessing to the whole Church and the world. … knowing the exact hour of his coming is not what is important, but that we be found ready - in a spirit of being present to God and his demands on us. … Jesus’ quoting of the Genesis story of Noah and the flood does not emphasize even the great sinfulness of the world (as the Genesis account itself stresses), rather He stresses the people being focused simply on the things of this life-eating, drinking, marrying (good things!). The ignorance and indifference to God in the face of these human realities is the main issue here. It leads to God being ignored, misunderstood and therefore not loved.  But Jesus Christ is so merciful, He says to us through this season that no matter how dark it gets, you can always return to My presence to allow Me in. … Maybe this is another special part of Carmel’s vocation. To proclaim amidst the deep darkness and divisions in the Church: "Come let us climb up the mountain of the Lord," let us get back to simply being present to Jesus Christ, making Him first and His demands on us first. And so for us who are Carmelites or who find inspiration in Carmel, we must get back to this reality ourselves. It is so easy to fill in the quiet spaces in our lives with noise and dark thinking. But our call is a little different. We are invited to constantly return to and embrace the presence of God in quiet loving attentiveness.’

Intercessions:

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Theresa K, Fr Jon B, Catherine, Richard Parker, Roy Seymour

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Lucia – Overwhelmed by weariness

Mark – brain infection

Defence of the unborn and the elderly

RIP Martin Gilham, Sue Burton, little Matthew (six years old, died of cancer), Wojtek, Joy Smith OCDS