In the more Catholic expressions of the Christian Church, a liturgical calendar is followed to portray a spiritual and theological journey throughout the Church year.  The seasons move through the great moments and themes of the Bible, enabling those who participate to perceive and acknowledge the truth of God becoming known through revelatory moments of our everyday living.

As this newsletter comes to you, our Church is beginning a new year, travelling through the season of Advent.  It is seen as a journey of preparation for the coming of Christ.  It is a time for patience, reflection and stillness that awaits the in-breaking of the Holy One.

To that end, think of Mary, waiting expectantly for the birth of her child.  She is patient and calm, exuding the qualities of hope, peace, joy and love - eternal attributes that speak to the wholeness of life and its potential.  

The Church celebrates each of those attributes intentionally throughout the Advent season by lighting a symbolic candle, as proclaimed through a particular liturgy.  Mary is filled with excitement and anticipation as she learns to lean into her immanent future.  By those four qualities she typifies the human heart at its best and validates the journey from Advent to Christmas.  As the Song of Mary (Psalm 95) suggests, we are called to announce in our lives the glad tidings and good news to others.

As always, life is pregnant with possibilities - in this case salvation via a babe in a manger. May your Advent and Christmas be a time of great expectation, in the knowledge that Christ is coming!  

NJP

The Reverend Nick Parker