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Advent Journey

The idea of a journey, even a pilgrimage, is at the heart of the season of Advent. The four Sundays that take us up to Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ, are stages on the way to awakening, if we let them be. The Advent countdown, and those four Sundays are like those piles of stones, those cairns which mark ones progress up the hill, through the mist, to the mountain top where you can see for miles and the sun shines. The message of Advent is that it is worth taking that journey, it is good to be prepared for the coming of the Lord Jesus.
 
Over the years I have taken many photographs of paths. 
Somehow the image of a path, whether up hills or over precarious bridges or down into dark unexplored dells, is a metaphor that captures something of the spiritual life. It’s a journey that begins with some trepidation, when it feels like it might be a good idea to stay at home, and then rewards with delight and … to use a very good and almost seasonal word, epiphany.

 
I like the many interesting traditions associated with Advent. It used to be for some a season of fasting. In some parts of the country a season of fasting would begin on the 11th November with a 40 days period of fasting up to Christmas – the 40 days of St Martin. I like the idea of welcoming the holy family into your home as in the Las Posadastradition of a 9 day time of visits by figures, images or actors representing Joseph, Mary and Jesus. But whether it’s the 24 or so days of advent, the 9 days representing the 9 months of gestation, we have some precious time in which to walk that inner journey, so we can welcome God made flesh, with open hands and open hearts.

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