Friday - first week of Advent

When I was a young girl I found a spot in the corner of the church where I loved to sit. Here, before a tiered stand of votive lights I sat entranced by flickering flame. Intuitively I knew that although I was in the communal space of church, I had discovered a spot holding the faith of individual hearts.  Although I sat here when the church was quiet, I believed that by listening closely I could hear prayer circling around and through the lights: please ...thank you ...please ....thank you ....how can this be?  Accept my pain - my joy - my uncertainty - my confusion. Words of faith uttered as a human hand held a match to a waiting wick. The whispered prayers circled silently as I watched flames melt the wax of intention.

Remembering this spot of quiet I thought of one my favorite prayer-poems:

"Mid all the traffic of all the ways,
turmoil without, within.
Make in my heart a quiet place,
and come and dwell therein.
A little place of mystic grace,
of self and sin swept bare,
where I may look upon Thy face,
and talk with Thee in prayer."

These words were written in 1917 by John Oxenham in a London chapel where the poet had gone to think and pray upon receiving word that his son had been killed in World War I.  I marvel not only at the beauty of the prayer-poem, but also that his request to God during that time was very direct and very simple; 'make in my heart a quiet place and come and dwell therein."

"Come and dwell therein."  Are not those words the essence of the Advent journey?  We began this week of reflection with Mary. who when asked if she would be the vessel of creation that brought Jesus into the world, said "let it be done unto me according to Thy will."

I firmly believe that one intention of beginning our spiritual new year with the season of Advent and the old, old story of pregnancy and birth is to remind us that God's work of bringing His love to the world has not ended.  God remains dependent upon you and I to continue the work of creating his kingdom of love: God needs me - and you - today just as He needed Mary.