First Advent

[T_Hope]

My first Advent is here!! I wanted to share some of my thoughts and felt this would be a great place to do that. And I hope YOU will want to share some of your Advent thoughts too.

I remember the first time I felt the Lord’s presence.

I was a teen and felt the need to pray, but I did not know if there would be anyone to hear my prayer. I was self-conscious even in the solitude of my bedroom, to kneel in prayer. I got down on my knees, then jumped right back up – I tried for several hours that first night. Finally, I went to bed.

The next night, I felt the same need to pray. The need was apparently not going to go away - and this time, I stayed on my knees and then struggled to find my voice. But in time, I did, and I began to pray. And then I listened. And to my surprise, I knew my prayer had been heard and was immediately answered in a big way. I felt God’s presence. I felt his gladness at my prayer - my attempt at faith? And I felt His embrace and His love for me, which sustained me for many many many years. It was a very emotional experience. It was so real to me. But it didn’t come again for … a lifetime.

That was many years ago. I did not feel His nearness in such a personal way again until this past spring.

I was aching inside and reaching out to friends and church leaders (in the church I had joined as an adult) but over the course of more than a year, none could help me and not one suggested prayer, which now that I think back, seems rather odd, doesn’t it? At length in near desperation I cried out directly to God and to my surprise and joy, He embraced me again, and led me home.

I had no expectations - I surrendered control of my life to God, and I am learning now that to follow Christ is not a giving up of anything, but a receiving of grace which helps us to become what God created us to be! How wonderful it is to remember the Giver of Life everyday and to wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Waiting to celebrate His birth - waiting for His second coming - and looking ahead to my upcoming baptism at the Easter Vigil, 2011 - all in joyful hope.

There is no other source of peace or of happiness, than Jesus. None. True happiness does not exist outside of Him.

I think what is important is for us to keep in remembrance our first encounter with Christ. It’s hard to do. We get up and hopefully pray before our other daily activities begin, and we get busy, and forget all about Him. That has happened to me! What can I do to keep Him in mind throughout the day? I can pray. I can carry a rosary in my pocket. I can pray. Oh, I said that. What other things can I do?

Well, those are some of my thoughts on the first Wednesday of Advent, 2010. I hope others will share some of their thoughts too.

Wishing everyone a joyful Advent season,
Hope

 

[HAnne]

Beautiful writing Hope.

This is our first Advent as Catholics as well. I grew up in a Protestant home where Advent was celebrated at church but not in our house. Tonight I finally got all my ducks in a row (lost Advent candles and had to wait until payday to replace) and we did the small advent wreath on my dining room table as part of our meal and left the candle burning until the meal was finished.

It was a beautiful time for our family who rarely stops to eat a meal at the table. For the first time I saw my husband make the sign of the cross (he hasn’t been able to attend Mass with us yet). My son craves more and so do I. I look forward to actually USING our dining room table daily for the rest of the Advent season and, maybe even permanently.

It’s been beautiful watching this experience bring our family together and I am immensely grateful for it.

 

[beth40n2]

I had celebrated Advent in the Methodist church, but my first Advent in the Catholic church was during RICA. I was the only one in my church to join that year. I had some private classes with the priest. Mostly I read the Catechism and talked to him on the phone once a week. I begged to recieve Jesus for Christmas that year (2004) and my prayer was granted. I recieved Jesus in the Eucharist at Christmas morning mass.

 

[PJM]

=T_Hope;7322611]My first Advent is here!! I wanted to share some of my thoughts and felt this would be a great place to do that. And I hope YOU will want to share some of your Advent thoughts too.

I remember the first time I felt the Lord’s presence.

I was a teen and felt the need to pray, but I did not know if there would be anyone to hear my prayer. I was self-conscious even in the solitude of my bedroom, to kneel in prayer. I got down on my knees, then jumped right back up – I tried for several hours that first night. Finally, I went to bed.

The next night, I felt the same need to pray. The need was apparently not going to go away - and this time, I stayed on my knees and then struggled to find my voice. But in time, I did, and I began to pray. And then I listened. And to my surprise, I knew my prayer had been heard and was immediately answered in a big way. I felt God’s presence. I felt his gladness at my prayer - my attempt at faith? And I felt His embrace and His love for me, which sustained me for many many many years. It was a very emotional experience. It was so real to me. But it didn’t come again for … a lifetime.

That was many years ago. I did not feel His nearness in such a personal way again until this past spring.

I was aching inside and reaching out to friends and church leaders (in the church I had joined as an adult) but over the course of more than a year, none could help me and not one suggested prayer, which now that I think back, seems rather odd, doesn’t it? At length in near desperation I cried out directly to God and to my surprise and joy, He embraced me again, and led me home.

I had no expectations - I surrendered control of my life to God, and I am learning now that to follow Christ is not a giving up of anything, but a receiving of grace which helps us to become what God created us to be! How wonderful it is to remember the Giver of Life everyday and to wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Waiting to celebrate His birth - waiting for His second coming - and looking ahead to my upcoming baptism at the Easter Vigil, 2011 - all in joyful hope.

There is no other source of peace or of happiness, than Jesus. None. True happiness does not exist outside of Him.

I think what is important is for us to keep in remembrance our first encounter with Christ. It’s hard to do. We get up and hopefully pray before our other daily activities begin, and we get busy, and forget all about Him. That has happened to me! What can I do to keep Him in mind throughout the day? I can pray. I can carry a rosary in my pocket. I can pray. Oh, I said that. What other things can I do?

Well, those are some of my thoughts on the first Wednesday of Advent, 2010. I hope others will share some of their thoughts too.

Wishing everyone a joyful Advent season,
Hope

One could correctly term this season; “THE SEASON OF HOPE!” The Awe and Magesty of the King of kings, the Lord of Lords soon to be in our midst, is too sublime to understand.

Bishop Fulton Sheen, in his book "The Life of Christ" points out both the Wisdom and the Love of God for HIS humanity. “He God choose to come in the form of a tiny baby that we could get “our arms around” [physically, mentally, emotionaly] so as to NOT frighten us.”

I have noticed over the yeas as I grow in faith and understanding, that God is a God of the unexpected. From His birth in a CAVE, being layed in a manjor [a place for feeding animals; including sheep], to all of His miracales, to choosing not just death [A GOD DYING FOR US? !], but the most humilitaing and painful public death form of the era, to giving Himself BACK to us in His Glorified Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.to grant us GRACES that not even the Angels can partake of.WOW!

And God keeps on giving more and more evidence of GOD’s GREAT Desire to be in a Personal relationship with us; His humaity; Created in His Image; His Likeness. And what does He expect in return?

ONLY This:

Know that there is ONLY One Truth per issue…SEEK it with His help! Practice humility without which heaven is imposible. Love one another [live it, don’t just say it] as He has Loved us.

All these thoughts, all of theses feelings become evident within us when we contemplate The GREATNESS of God and His Love for humanity.

LUKE CHAPTER TWO:

And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered." And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ***“Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. *** And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

***THANK YOU, Jesus, Mary and Joseph! AMEN! ***

 

[T_Hope]

Beautiful writing Hope.

This is our first Advent as Catholics as well. I grew up in a Protestant home where Advent was celebrated at church but not in our house. Tonight I finally got all my ducks in a row (lost Advent candles and had to wait until payday to replace) and we did the small advent wreath on my dining room table as part of our meal and left the candle burning until the meal was finished.

It was a beautiful time for our family who rarely stops to eat a meal at the table. For the first time I saw my husband make the sign of the cross (he hasn’t been able to attend Mass with us yet). My son craves more and so do I. I look forward to actually USING our dining room table daily for the rest of the Advent season and, maybe even permanently.

It’s been beautiful watching this experience bring our family together and I am immensely grateful for it.

HAnne,

What a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing!

Your family is in my prayers. May you enjoy a beautiful and peaceful Advent season, and many more memorable evenings around your dining table with your loved ones.

Happily,
Hope

 

[T_Hope]

I had celebrated Advent in the Methodist church, but my first Advent in the Catholic church was during RICA. I was the only one in my church to join that year. I had some private classes with the priest. Mostly I read the Catechism and talked to him on the phone once a week. I begged to recieve Jesus for Christmas that year (2004) and my prayer was granted. I recieved Jesus in the Eucharist at Christmas morning mass.

What a wonderful gift for your Christmas in 2004 and every year to come!

Yesterday during our Mass, four new Catholics were received into the Church. It was wonderful to be there and I am so happy for them! What a lovely time of year to participate in baptisms and confirmations! It is wonderful, this gift of peace and of community, which seems to be increasing inside my very being during this season. It’s a miracle! And part of that miracle is in reading about experiences such as yours. Thank you for sharing,

Hope

 

[T_Hope]

One could correctly term this season; “THE SEASON OF HOPE!” The Awe and Magesty of the King of kings, the Lord of Lords soon to be in our midst, is too sublime to understand.

Bishop Fulton Sheen, in his book "The Life of Christ" points out both the Wisdom and the Love of God for HIS humanity. “He God choose to come in the form of a tiny baby that we could get “our arms around” [physically, mentally, emotionaly] so as to NOT frighten us.”

I have noticed over the yeas as I grow in faith and understanding, that God is a God of the unexpected. From His birth in a CAVE, being layed in a manjor [a place for feeding animals; including sheep], to all of His miracales, to choosing not just death [A GOD DYING FOR US? !], but the most humilitaing and painful public death form of the era, to giving Himself BACK to us in His Glorified Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.to grant us GRACES that not even the Angels can partake of.WOW!

And God keeps on giving more and more evidence of GOD’s GREAT Desire to be in a Personal relationship with us; His humaity; Created in His Image; His Likeness. And what does He expect in return?

ONLY This:

Know that there is ONLY One Truth per issue…SEEK it with His help! Practice humility without which heaven is imposible. Love one another [live it, don’t just say it] as He has Loved us.

All these thoughts, all of theses feelings become evident within us when we contemplate The GREATNESS of God and His Love for humanity.

Those are some of the things I was thinking about last week, how humbling it is to think of Jesus as a baby, dependent upon his parents, born under truly humble circumstances, and what it all means. And yes, God’s desire to be in a personal relationship with us. That is EXACTLY what I had been missing in my life – and now, my whole life has changed because He reached out to me.

I particularly can relate to what you said about the unexpected things/ways God does. It’s so true! He has a whole different perspective than we do, doesn’t He? As I am reminded over and over again of His love for us, and of His love for me, I am learning to trust Him. And that is one of the miracles of my first Advent. In surrendering to God’s will, I am doing the most unexpected things! Yes, my life is surely changing. And my heart is filled with joy.

May we listen and follow Him always,
Hope

 

[PJM]

=T_Hope;7339012]Those are some of the things I was thinking about last week, how humbling it is to think of Jesus as a baby, dependent upon his parents, born under truly humble circumstances, and what it all means. And yes, God’s desire to be in a personal relationship with us. That is EXACTLY what I had been missing in my life – and now, my whole life has changed because He reached out to me.

I particularly can relate to what you said about the unexpected things/ways God does. It’s so true! He has a whole different perspective than we do, doesn’t He? As I am reminded over and over again of His love for us, and of His love for me, I am learning to trust Him. And that is one of the miracles of my first Advent. In surrendering to God’s will, I am doing the most unexpected things! Yes, my life is surely changing. And my heart is filled with joy.

May we listen and follow Him always,
Hope

**Amen my friend. **

The the peace and Joy that can ONLY be found in Christ be with always!

God Bless, Pat