Advent

It's the first Sunday of Advent, and we're getting ready to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas and preparing to meet Him on the Last Day, the second Advent. Here's a prayer, the governing collect of the season:

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

The armour of light. The Apostle teaches us (Rom. 13:11-14) that this is nothing less than Christ Himself.  Austin Farrer illuminates:

Advent brings Christmas, judgement runs out into mercy. For the God who saves us and the God who judges us is one God. We are not, even, condemned by his severity and redeemed by his compassion; what judges us is what redeems us, the love of God. What is it that will break our hearts on judgement day? Is it not the vision, suddenly unrolled, of how he has loved the friends we have neglected, of how he has loved us, and we have not loved him in return; how, when we came (as now) before his altar, he gave us himself, and we gave him half-penitences, or resolutions too weak to commit our wills? But while love thus judges us by being what it is, the same love redeems us by effecting what it does. Love shares flesh and blood with us in this present world, that the eyes which look us through at last may find in us a better substance than our vanity.

If you're a bit slow on the uptake, like me, you might want to read the above several times. In the meanwhile, Paris burns.

God bless,

LSP

Cast Away The Works Of Darkness, It's Advent

Advent's all about light, right? Light coming into the world. No, wrong, it's all about darkness according to Jann-Aldridge Clanton, holy, creative darkness at that. 

Jann's written us a song, sung to the tune of O Little Town of Bethlehem, to illustrate the point. Here it is:

O Holy Darkness, loving Womb, who nurtures and creates,

sustain us through the longest night with dreams of open gates. We move inside to mystery that in our center dwells, where streams of richest beauty flow from sacred, living wells.

Creative Darkness, closest friend, you whisper in the night;

you calm our fears as unknown paths surprise us with new sight. We marvel at your bounty, your gifts so full and free, unfolding as you waken us to new reality.

O Holy Night of deepest bliss, we celebrate your power;

infuse us with your energy that brings our seeds to flower.

The voice out of the darkness excites our warmest zeal

to bring together dark and light, true holiness reveal.

O come to us Sophia, your image black and fair

stirs us to end injustice and the wounds of Earth repair.

The treasures of your darkness and riches of your grace

inspire us to fulfill our call, our sacredness embrace.

Beautiful, isn't it, but to set the record straight, here's the governing Collect or prayer for the season.

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. With that in mind, what's the "Holy Darkness" that Jann's appealing to? 

The womb of the blessed, glorious, Immaculate, ever Virgin Mary assumed into heaven without sin? Or something else, the darkness that attempted to overcome the Light and failed? 

Perhaps you remember the verse, "And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:5) What is this darkness? Here's a hint:

Here at the Compound we recommend you stick to the light but hey, your call. Just don't be surprised if, when you make the wrong choice, you wake up and a demon's gnawing on your forearm.

God bless,

LSP

Advent Prayer

Listen up, it's Advent. Time to pray, and none of your newfangled rubbish either.

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty, to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

God bless,

LSP