Out of curiosity, and considering the bridge of time and cultures, is the interpretation of the attitudes portrayed in the figures something you have picked up from someone familiar with the conventions of artists at that time (in which case I’d be interested to know the source because I would like to learn more about recognising those aspects) or your perception ? When we can love in this way, selflessly and focused only on God’s greatness and beauty, then we will discover something else quite glorious. I am sorry when I’m caught up in conflict and frustration, But heaven forbid we blow past Advent in our haste, worry and stress, and fail to open our minds and our hearts each day to the miracle of Emmanuel. Here’s No.9. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features © 2021 Google LLC Just read Alain de Botton’s book on appreciating art. Continue Reading. Advent Reflections 2017 . I am writing to remind you of things you already know. Advent Reflection 9: How deep is your love? Angelo. I am sorry when I allow the stresses and demands of work or family to erode and wear away my hope. In fact, it is even appropriate to understand that God is like the tenderest mother to us. Keep us away from the thieves that would steal the message and joy of Christmas. Waiting, Beauty and Hope: Advent Reflection on Love "In trying times, Jesus especially challenges us to show His love to the vulnerable and the victims of injustices. " Advent Wreath Prayer Week 4 — Love. But to do life in Christ who paid our fee. Here, the Genesis passage affirming that humans are made in God’s image is taken most seriously. Remember, this moment is an opportunity to connect to Love, and therefore, to live into the fullness of who you are. Beside them, his thumb tucked casually into his belt, a third man motions toward the holy family, appearing to ask, “What? Botticelli was commissioned to paint this astonishing work in 1475 by Gaspare di Zanobi del Lama, a wealthy Italian banker connected to the Medici family. In other words, the scene is anything but hallowed and hushed. We’re not very good at that anymore. You love us so much that you gave us the most precious One in the universe, your Son Jesus Christ. It’s easy and free to post your thinking on any topic. We have reflected on the themes of ‘Peace’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Joy’ several times over our journey through Advent. As you surrender your own agenda and offer your consent, the power of Love is revealed in all holiness. Love descended from heaven to be born of a virgin. In the foreground at left, three louche young men appear completely disinterested. I am sorry when I get so carried away with the busyness of each day, When pressed, they usually describe a comforting, devotional experience of God’s tender presence. Motherhood is sacred because it is part of the natural design of God for humanity. We trust you are blessed and encouraged by what is shared. By reflecting on how Christ’s love came to them, we can embody their graciousness and ask their help as we live our Advent. Learn more, Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Brian Cavanaugh, TOR "During Advent opportunities for works of charity abound calling out for Christians from every side: a sack of food for a needy family, money dropped in a Salvation Army kettle, a donation to an Indian school, a toy for ‘Toys-for-Tots,’ etc. Advent Reflections: How Love Transforms Us. The magus kneeling before Christ and pompously touching his feet is Cosimo de’ Medici, the first of the Medici political dynasty. You are all love, all hope, all forgiveness, all truth and all I really need. Print the Advent Reflection Guide or save it on your computer or other electronic device for reading and reflection in your prayer each day. So far we’ve looked at several stories that spoke about how Christ is the fulfillment of our hopes, how God prepares us to be a part of His plan, how people rejoiced in God’s plan and his promises, and how God actually rejoices over us. Heavenly Father, the whole meaning of Christmas can be explained in one little four-letter word…LOVE. There is a Flow to Life, and you are a part of this miraculous cosmic orchestration. Waiting. Its qualities include patience and kindness. It was well known that Cosimo had intended for Giovanni to succeed him, but Giovanni died unexpectedly in 1463, allowing Piero to step up as successor. Perfect love in the shape of a cross means my wrongs get crossed off. In 2005, Danny Wallace, a freelance radio producer for the BBC in London, was recently divorced and bored at work. Pray: Father, I realize that your mission is all about love. Maybe that perplexing stare hints at the rivalry between them? … Home » Blog » Advent Reflection 9: How deep is your love? Evaluate: Are you striving to love people the same way Christ loved you? An Advent Reflection Margaret Ann Jacobs National Chairperson of Spiritual Development December 2011 During Advent, all members are called to find opportunities to become more aware of how God touches our lives each day so that we can be a sign of this love in the world. Joy. The God-Bearer: Advent Reflections on Mary. November 30, 2016 How Love Transforms Us. This saddens me, as love is actually the greatest force in the universe. It is important, of course, to be gracious as we welcome Jesus who never changes. The three Magi are portrayed by patriarchs of the powerful Medici family. I’ve been reading a lot of George Orwell lately. Reflection: John the Baptist speaks about how he cannot loosen Jesus’ sandals and that His baptism will be much mightier than John’s. Heaven forbid we do not read this love letter. You sent your gift of pure love to us that first Christmas. As a young man I read him voraciously, but in recent years I have left him. Introduction. I guess it’s a combination. The ancient Jewish mystical worldview is expressed in the Kabala, a system of secret teachings. Write on Medium. by Bruce Sanguin | Dec 12, 2016 | Ω Vision | 1 comment. Have really appreciated this series and your commentary. Artwork: Adoration of the Magi – Sandro Botticelli, Uffizi Gallery, Florence. I am sorry when I’m caught up in conflict and frustration, As always, do what best awakens you to love, Interfaith Minister, Spiritual Director, Retreat Facilitator, Psychotherapist www.alovecenteredlife.com, Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Reflections on Love: Advent Week 4 We’re down to the last few days of reflecting on Christ’s first and second comings. Just the other day, I complained to my wife about a package I’d ordered from Amazon that hadn’t arrived yet. I’m sorry when I seek to be fulfilled by food, drink or entertainment, The reflection below is written by Martha Hennessy and excerpted from our Advent-Christmas 2020 reflection booklet (still… never stopping to dwell in your love. Luke 1:39-45 || Rev. When we love God with a pure love, we will find that we are drawn to God for His sake, because He is glorious and worthy of our love, and because loving Him is right and just. The force of love brought God down to be among us, both in the bodily form of Jesus Christ, and in the These reflections are drawn from the readings for the four Sundays of Advent, which is a season in itself and the run-up to Christmas. by Betsi Moise. 3. Every moment you are invited to let go of trying to make things be the way you think they should be and go with the Flow. It is an astounding reality our language cannot articulate. Advent: ...a seaon to learn to wait…...to ponder in our hearts… …to welcome the salvation and healing of the world in vulnerability…...to make room to receive the grace we need from God. Join Justin Kennedy from Heywood Baptist Church as he shares our 3rd Sunday advent reflection on ‘Love!' In Love We Grow by Bernie Durangparang Vocation/Mission Promotion Animator - Mindanao. That’s gospel, good news, that is perfect love. Discuss the reflection questions in your own prayer circles. Peace. Work must be done and should be done. For several years, I hosted an annual Christmas open house in my home. Love lay in the scratchy hay of a manger in a meager barn in Bethlehem. Yet fail to feast on your truth. It’s a lush, dramatic, altogether beautiful nativity. Explore, If you have a story to tell, knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — welcome home. Your email address will not be published. One drapes himself over another, their eyes closed, as if like bored children wanting this all to end. Ten Advent reflections. when I harbor resentment, instead of giving out forgiveness. Consider the reflection questions posed by the authors and artists. You can also join a virtual discussion Each Tuesday throughout the Advent season, we'll post a reflection on the readings for the upcoming Sunday in Advent. Whether it’s, HI Michael But notice the blond man on the extreme right, looking directly at you from the canvas. The story of Jesus is the story of God who loves us so incredibly uncontainably much that God explodes the boundary between divinity and humanity and comes gasping into this world to love us in person. 1. Advent is a time of expectant waiting, in which Christians join with Israel in anticipation of the coming Messiah, and look forward to the ultimate fulfillment of both their desire and ours. The views expressed are my own and do not necessarily represent the official views of Morling College or its affiliates and partners. This final week of Advent helps us to reflect … Botticelli fixes us with his gaze and asks, “Is your love for the child greater than these?”. Ten of the greatest pieces of Christian art ever created. We will discover that, as a result of our pure love of God, we are also … All of your love, God, was robed in the delicate skin of a baby and wrapped in swaddling clothes. Christlike … Love all lovely, love divine; I’m sorry when I desire the wrong things, blinded by the media, and forget to engage with the real treasures of love and justice. Your email address will not be published. Each week of Advent has a theme: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Love. The holy family are positioned aloft in a derelict outhouse of yawning rafters on the brink of collapse. Below them, the Magi and their attendants have come bearing gifts for the Christ child. Then a woman on a, “Love the foreigner as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” Leviticus 19:34 We’re used to hearing people being referred to as xenophobic. Be still and listen. As you surrender your own agenda and offer your consent, the power of Love is revealed in all holiness. Reflections on the forth week of Advent. The first creation is the Human One, Adam Kadmon and the cosmos is born from and … But we know that Jesus later requests to be baptized by John the Baptist in the gospels. Important current issues must be dealt with and not ignored. The former is generally considered a good thing, but the latter is not. photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash.com. Irreverent Kindness: Kurt Vonnegut on the Sermon on the Mount, Disruptive Grace: Flannery O’Connor on when God turns up, Generous anger: George Orwell on fighting the good fight, The Alphabet of Grace: X is for Xenophilia. The reflection will be available on our homepage through the weekend and then archived on our Advent 2020 webpage. That means the perfect love we see. After all, it had…Continue reading Forced to Wait: An Advent Reflection Down the Rabbit Hole: Explaining Anthony Bourdain’s Death from a Dharmic Perspective, Meditation, Like Everything Else, is Sexist, Walk With Me (#34): Their Path Doesn’t Have To Be Your Path. A Reflection on Love of Neighbor in the Season of Advent Reflection: meditation, not best practices. Maybe we never were. Love, reveal yourself in us! That’s a self-portrait of Sandro Botticelli himself. One day, we are anxious about finances or deadlines or the results of health tests, so we withdraw into a cocoon or snap at those around us. St. Paul describes love as the highest of all the gifts (1 Cor 13:1-13). That much is obvious to the uninformed viewer. 4 ©2015 i atholi es AD NS 5 First Sunday of Advent DAY 1: OUR TAINTED OFFERING We all know that Lent is a penitential season, a time when Christians get in touch with their sins. Love * An Advent Reflection by Christopher Upham The Heart of the Matter, Being a drama in five acts Act One: The ‘Word’ as Promise and Divine Mystery. December 05, 2011 by Jenny Warner. And I guess I have an eye for it and a good imagination. I took an art appreciation course a while ago and I read a lot in the field. And the third magus beside him is Piero’s brother Giovanni. Advent Reflection: In These Days, Love Come Down! 1 min read. Colloquially, there’s a big difference between having zeal and being a zealot. advent reflection on love and truth December 10, 2009 smm - admin "Send forth your love and your truth…" “Send forth your love and your truth; let them guide me; let them bring me to the place where you dwell.” This verse from Psalm 43 is a good short prayer in Advent. Advent Reflection 10: Yes, Jesus WAS a refugee. A weather-worn but well-to-do herdsman ambles alone among some of the livestock, seemingly talking to himself. Breathe with meBreathe with me………… Place your faith in a power greater than yourself, for nothing is impossible with Love. The next day, we are feeling in control of life and rather successful at being human, so we beam joviality and peace upon the world. It is the summation of our every need; the complete … And so he does. December 22, 2015 / in Spirit Soundings /. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. We will see these words a lot in the next four weeks—in scrawling fonts, in red green, silver, and gold, adorning Christmas cards and advertisements and invitations. Required fields are marked *. The second magus in the center with the red mantle is Cosimo’s son, Piero, who succeeded him as lord of Florence. A bit like the ten stations of the Christmas story. An Advent Reflection Fr. never stopping to dwell in your love. The message of his Christmas story is constant and always with us. But Advent has a penitential dimension, too. Introduction. What you might not know is the sly and artful way Botticelli has portrayed the images in the foreground. In His spirit strength we do we be . Scene: Rolling pasture for goats as far as the eye can see, with encampments of tents dotting some hilltops. Mark 13:33-37: Stay awake It is natural for us to live by the changing weather patterns of our emotions. Advent Reflection for December 6 – Second Sunday of Advent Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11/ 2 PT 3: 8-14 / Mark 1: 1-8 Invitation to prayer: Jesus, help me to learn to love the waiting. But in this instant-everything modern age, we get frustrated if we have to wait for any length of time. Greg Klimovitz || Fourth Week of Advent 2015. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 2. Botticelli is distancing himself from the feigned worship, the hustle of pomp and ceremony, and the complete disinterest of the Italians around Christ. For twenty centuries, as God-infant and God-man, he has never varied in the genuineness and hopefulness of his offer of love. Stop Trying To Awaken To Meet Your Awakened Self. Let’s take some time together for a few reflections on peace. A lot of Christians talk about God “turning up” in their lives. It’s not about our salvation as individuals but the salvation of the world: evil vanquished, … Love In An Unfinished Universe: An Advent Reflection. Surely you taught us to love … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hope. With skin on. Your life is guided every step of the way by the Love within you. ADVENT REFLECTIONS. Is to do life like Christ who set us free. I am sorry when I allow the stresses and demands of work or family to erode and wear away my hope. Advent Reflection & Christmas Love, Joy, Peace & Hope! What strikes me is that Advent is a season of communal longing. You can read what George Orwell helped. This is my third post about great writers and what they have taught me about life and faith. Because they are commonplace, and because they are tossed into the mix of beaming family photos and lists of … There’s an old hymn that we sing this time of year: Love came down at Christmas. It reflects the heart of the Season as we draw closer and closer to the birth of Jesus. You’re not interested in this?”. Advent Reflection (22) – God of Love Skip to entry content. Introduction. They seem to be in conversation, perhaps disagreement. Thursday, December 15, 2011 "Bingle Jells" (picture a pleasantly inebriated reindeer fallen into the Christmas 'cheer' a tad early)! Advent 2018 Love is one of those words that is bandied about rather haphazardly, and often without a great deal of depth behind it. One of the attendees had been there for quite a while when she said to me, “I love being in your home, it’s so peaceful.” How is it that my home was a peaceful place when ladies were coming and going and eating and laughing and chatting? Though God has been revealed to us as the Father in Heaven and the Son of God came as a man, we can discover much about the love of God from a mother’s love. Came down from above to do what we couldn’t. A simple exploration of some of the words of the prophet Isaiah – namely excerpts from chapter 9, 40 and 61, remind us of these beautiful themes. The best benefit comes from reading the scripture passages themselves — so the references are given and are available on the wccm.org website. The season of Advent rounds out with a focus on love. He gave up His crown. This season is the season of giving, but it can also be tainted by selfishness, greed, and despair. It is not your job to manage your life or the emotional reactions of others.
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