The Advent Candle: The Shepherds and Faith
04/12/05
Amidst the increasing frenzy of a commercialized Christmas season, we come again to seek out this silent and holy spot where we may stop to contemplate and meditate and hope...
A quiet, dark night on the hillside. The flock has settled down to sleep; crickets chirp quietly in the distance. Gray clouds slip silently across the black sky as shepherds nod off... Suddenly, the sky is ablaze with a brilliant explosion; the voices of a thousand angels crack the silence proclaiming that the Messiah is here. Gloria in Excelsis Deo, "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:14).
Today, we relight the Prophets' Candle of Hope and we kindle the Shepherds' Candle, symbolizing Faith. The Shepherds left that unbelievable scene on the hillside and went to Bethlehem to see what the angels had told them. They accepted these miraculous events with faith and acted on them immediately.
"O God, you sent your host of angels to shatter the stillness of that quiet, holy night and forever change, not only the lives of those unassuming shepherds, but also the fate of mankind. Help us be aware of your presence, even when it is not heralded by the trumpets of a thousand angels. Train our ears to hear your still, small voice over the drone of the frenzied crowd. Watch over us as we prepare our hearts for the coming of your son. Amen."
A quiet, dark night on the hillside. The flock has settled down to sleep; crickets chirp quietly in the distance. Gray clouds slip silently across the black sky as shepherds nod off... Suddenly, the sky is ablaze with a brilliant explosion; the voices of a thousand angels crack the silence proclaiming that the Messiah is here. Gloria in Excelsis Deo, "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:14).
Today, we relight the Prophets' Candle of Hope and we kindle the Shepherds' Candle, symbolizing Faith. The Shepherds left that unbelievable scene on the hillside and went to Bethlehem to see what the angels had told them. They accepted these miraculous events with faith and acted on them immediately.
"O God, you sent your host of angels to shatter the stillness of that quiet, holy night and forever change, not only the lives of those unassuming shepherds, but also the fate of mankind. Help us be aware of your presence, even when it is not heralded by the trumpets of a thousand angels. Train our ears to hear your still, small voice over the drone of the frenzied crowd. Watch over us as we prepare our hearts for the coming of your son. Amen."