Christmas has always been a time of prayer - The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word 'adventus', which means "coming". As I begin the season of Advent, I think about parts of my life that have been touched by anything related to Christmas-tide.
I thought about prayers. I remember hearing my grandparents pray night-time prayers. I heard them read a daily reflection (through the wall as I was falling asleep in the next room). I remember this was during a time that I visited, but I also remember hearing thier prayers in previous visits...as I would drift off to sleep.
I thought about the many times I would hear my husband Greg whisper a prayer for our children when they were young. I don't know if he knows I heard him...again these were whispered prayers I would hear at the end of the day in the darkness of our bedroom. Hearing his prayers were so calming, yet so powerful and I prayed with him in silence.
Over the last couple of years there have been a few times when I have sent a deperate prayer in the direction of the creator - I had been exhausted 'trying to figure it out' on my own and finally turned to God and asked . . . "what do I do?" What is amazing but not amazing is that in each case, my prayer was answered, clearly and directly. I prayed with my heart and in my heart I would feel direction and calm, peace and love. I knew this was my God, the Spirit and father directing love to light the way for me. When I visited Medjugorie many years ago, I was gifted a prayer book called "Pray with the Heart". It was my companion for years, but now, well, I haven't looked at it recently. Greg wrote a poem for me for that trip - he sent me wishes for love and life on that pilgrimage journey.
Prayer is the conversation starter - prayer prepares the way for the relationship.
Advent is here! Make straight in the desert, a highway for our God!
