Get Advent-urous! -- The Blessings of A Stable Beginning

Get Advent-urous!

The Blessings of A Stable Beginning

by Ian Mascarenhas

   Jesus’ life, teachings, examples, suffering, death and resurrection are the basis for our Church.  He has given us a “stable” foundation.

   That term has a two-fold blessing.  It is an unshakeable base for our faith & Church, and also one of simplicity.  The teachings of Jesus which have been handed down through our Church have stood firm over the last 2,000 years.  It was also simple because He came without fanfare, and with little recognition as a mighty king and savior.

   The strength in our foundation is with three simple parts – faith, love and hope.  Our faith is part of the foundation because we believe the testimonies of witnesses, relying on the accounts of others, and the mysterious ways God touches our lives.  We don’t have personal experience of Jesus’ time, so we must trust.

   Love is also included because it is an integral part of each of our relationships – whether that is with family, friends, strangers we pass by, etc.  Jesus did tell us, “Love one another (everyone) as I have loved you.”  We must have caring compassionate attitudes in our actions.

   The third one is hope.  We have this expectation because of Jesus’ teachings and His death and resurrection to reconnect us into the Kingdom of God.  It is with great wonder and awe that I consider what our Lord did, deeming us so precious and worth reclaiming in that way.

   Those are the rock solid characteristics of our Church, our Christian community, our family, and ourselves when God is part of each relationship.  There can be no stronger foundation than one that includes God.

   The simple way in which our Lord entered this world tells us something about how we should celebrate these seasons.  Our Advent and Christmas seasons should not be about extravagant celebrations, but rather they should be meaningful ones.  Our focus should be on Jesus – The Present and The Presence.

   Would we have the same kind of celebration if Jesus was in the room with us?  Jesus came to give us something.  What do we offer Him in our celebration of His birth?  Keep a “stable” mindset as your Advent-ure continues.

Have a blessed & holy Advent!

Merry CHRISTmas to all!