“Light that never fades, dispel the mists about us, awaken our faith from sleep.”
This line from the Morning Prayer intercessions hit home. It’s a grey, windy day. We had rain all day yesterday. I’ve been fighting a cold since before Thanksgiving and my energy is sapped. It’s been good to light the candle on the Advent wreath and immerse myself in the psalms and prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours. I said it regularly for many years and then let it slip from my life entirely. Returning to it has that wonderful feeling of coming home.
The readings yesterday, especially from Paul’s letter to the Romans, were all about waking up, and instead, I dozed in front of the tv most of the afternoon, warm and cozy, but groggy. Today feels more promising. High winds overnight are drying the wet ground and I’m getting back to normal routines. The rituals of Advent are good for that. The Advent wreath, Advent calendars, the return to a daily prayer structure, all help me to focus and to stay grounded in the work of the season.
