Happy New Year!

Hope61 · November 2010

New Liturgical year, that is ;-P

So... any plans for Advent?
I'll have the traditional Advent candles and such, of course (haven't bought them yet, though--oops!). Also, my parents' church gives out "Little Blue Books" for Advent. They have usually a prayer/mini-meditation and a little blurb about a Saint, Christmas tradition, or fact for the day for every day of Advent. So I'm planning on making a little extra time every morning to spend a few minutes reading that.

mica178 · November 2010

We're still planning our day, but I thought I'd share the homily my husband's friend wrote this week:

I. 120 years to build the ark
Jesus reminds us of Noah in today’s Gospel. He speaks of the time when Noah was building the ark. He says: “people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage right up until the day that Noah entered the ark.” What Jesus does not mention was a curious little fact that was well known to his listeners at the time but is rather obscure for us today, namely, that Noah took a very long time to build his ark. Actually, Noah took 120 years to build the ark. In which case, it’s a good thing he lived to be 950 years old. In the Jewish Midrash, we read: “Even after God had resolved upon the destruction of the sinners, He still permitted His Mercy to prevail, in that he sent Noah unto them, who exhorted them for 120 years to amend their ways, always holding the flood over them as a threat. As for them, they derided him. When they saw him occupying himself with the building of an ark, they asked, “Wherefore this ark?”

II. What does this long period of time mean?
Usually when we think of the flood, we think of it as God punishing his wicked people. But the story is much more about God’s willingness to forgive and accept his people. Noah takes 120 years to build the ark. Either he is a really slow worker or the 120 years has some other meaning. I think that long period of time has to do with God’s patience with his people. God has no desire to punish us. Like with the people of Noah’s time, God waits patiently for us to change our hearts and minds, to practice justice and mercy. As we begin another Advent, we are given a lovely image. We are living as were the people of Noah’s time. God is patiently waiting on us.

III. C.S. Lewis: The Screwtape Letters
One of my favorite old books is a Christian fable written by C.S. Lewis called, “The Screwtape Letters.” The book is the story of the correspondence between two demons in hell, an old demon named Screwtape and a young devil named Wormwood. In the book, Screwtape mentors Wormwood on the fine art of seducing human beings. In one marvelous exchange, Wormwood and Screwtape discuss the best lie with which to lure human being into damnation. Wormwood opines, “Perhaps we should tell them there is no God.” Screwtape says, “Not bad but of limited applicability. Many human beings have had evidence of God’s existence and would not believe the lie. Only the spiritually dull and insensitive would believe it.” Wormwood tries again, “Why don’t we tell them there is no hell. Then they would have nothing to be afraid and would sin constantly.” Again Screwtape rejects the idea, explaining: “No, that’s no good. The really good people are not good out of fear but out of love. Thus your plan would only manage to trap those people who are probably going to hell already anyway.” Poor little Wormwood is all out of ideas. He says, “Screwtape, I give up. We can’t tell them there is no God and we can’t tell then there is no hell. What lie should we tell them?” Screwtape says, “My dear Wormwood, just tell them there is no hurry.”
IV. The unexpected hour
Brilliant old seducer, that Screwtape. We are living in the time of Noah. We are doing our jobs, living our lives, making all sorts of choices good and bad. In the midst of it all, God is waiting, patiently waiting for us to turn to him. By what we do today, by how we live today, we are finding salvation or damnation. As Jesus says, “Keep awake, therefore, for the Son of God comes at an unexpected hour.” I hope you will forgive me for giving the last word to George Harrison instead of to Jesus Christ. The youngest Beatle once said, “Everything else can wait. But the search for God cannot wait.” George knows that directly now for he can see and touch the face of His Sweet Lord

k8ly · November 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_happy-new-year?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:59eb6848-eace-4490-b358-9eb105f33b54Post:c1133a57-ddb9-4a5a-9f91-310fec0bb0fe">Happy New Year!</a>:
[QUOTE]New Liturgical year, that is ;-P So... any plans for Advent? I'll have the traditional Advent candles and such, of course (haven't bought them yet, though--oops!). Also, my parents' church gives out "Little Blue Books" for Advent. They have usually a prayer/mini-meditation and a little blurb about a Saint, Christmas tradition, or fact for the day for every day of Advent. So I'm planning on making a little extra time every morning to spend a few minutes reading that.
Posted by KatieAnne18[/QUOTE]

Happy New Year to you! Very nice idea! Wonder if I can find something like that on-line....hmmmm.

Advent wreath is out!

Hope61 · November 2010

Mica- thanks for sharing! I love the Screwtape letters, and what a great way to tie that in to make sense of the Gospel.

My Advent "wreath" is out too. I didn't want to wait, so I just went to CVS and bought four candles, and wrapped decorative purple and pink scrapbooking papers around the bottoms

bibliophile2010 · November 2010

Happy New Year!

Mica -- thanks for sharing that. It was fantastic!

Currently, my Advent wreath is an Advent line of candles, because the wreath part is in storage until next weekend. I just had to pull the candles out yesterday, though.

newlyseliski · November 2010

Yay, Advent!

My church mails out the Magnificat Advent reflections booklet to parishioners! I really like reading it before going to bed. One thing my pastor recommended in his homily yesterday was not doing any shopping on Sundays during Advent so one could take time to reflect on the season and devote time to growing in relationship with God... Hopefully if enough people did this, those that got stuck working on Sundays during this time of the year would have the opportunity to do the same if there weren't enough of a demand for their time.

Good idea on the Screwtape Letters, mica! That homily was a great reflection on it. I feel like a bad Christian having not yet read that one It's been patiently sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me...

Hope61 · November 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_happy-new-year?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:59eb6848-eace-4490-b358-9eb105f33b54Post:f58b389d-b00c-43db-a05f-078dc9e1f5fe">Re: Happy New Year!</a>:
[QUOTE] Good idea on the Screwtape Letters, mica! That homily was a great reflection on it. I feel like a bad Christian having not yet read that one :) It's been patiently sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me...
Posted by newlyseliski[/QUOTE]
After Advent, you should make it your before-bed reading. Thats how I finally got around to reading it, and it works out perfectly, because the chapters are pretty short. :)

bibliophileemily · November 2010

Happy New Year to you all too!

Thanks for sharing that homily, mica178; that's a really important message to hear this time of year. We really should stay awake and be ready.

Thank goodness the church I go to was selling Advent candles; there were no purple or pink candles in any of the stores around town!

clearheavens · December 2010

I'm doing the exact same two things as you, KatieAnne! Both the Blue Book and the Advent Wreath.

Happy New Year!

Re: Happy New Year!

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