Tuesday, December 3, 2013

1st Advent 2011, Sphere of Brotherhood



1st Advent
Luke 21:25-36

And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth, the nations will be constricted with anxiety and doubt with the advent of these spiritual revelations, as before a roaring sea and waves. And men will lose their inner strength of soul out of fear and foreboding of what is coming over the living earth: for the dynamic powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, in the sphere of life, with dynamic power and great radiant glory.

And when these things begin to happen, stand upright and lift up [raise] your soul to the spirit, for your deliverance draws near.

And he gave them a comparison, saying, ‘Observe [behold] the fig tree and all the trees when they burst into leaf. Seeing this, you know yourselves that summer is near. So also when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

Amen, the truth I say to you: this present age of Man’s being shall not pass away until all has happened.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.


Guard yourselves lest the perceptive power of your hearts be smothered by excess of food and drink and by over-concern with the cares and worries of life, and the light of these spirit events break upon you suddenly like a snare…for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. So be awake in the spirit at all times, praying, so that you may have the strength to live through all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.


1st Advent Sunday
Nov 27, 2011
Luke 21:25-36

A woman about to give birth is seized by fearsome convulsions; she feels dragged along by the mighty forces of birth. Yet knowing of the immanent arrival of the child can give her powers of endurance.

Humankind is now being seized by mighty convulsions of change. The dynamic powers of heaven are being shaken, for we are all in the midst of a new birth. The kingdom of the heavens, the realm of divine love, that wants to be born in human hearts, is approaching.

We are feeling the convulsions most especially in the economic sphere because it is the sphere of brotherhood. We hear the cries for human dignity, for equitable standards of living and care for all, not only here, but elsewhere in the world as well. What humanity is laboring to bring to birth is the compassionate Son of Man within our hearts. For the present, we must stand. We must begin the labor of bringing to birth. We must endure. For as Vaclav Havel says:

It is I who must begin.
Once I begin, once I try --
here and now,
right where I am,
…I suddenly discover,
to my surprise, that
I am neither the only one,
nor the first,
nor the most important one
to have set out
upon that road.

Whether all is really lost
or not depends entirely on
whether or not I am lost.[1]






[1] Vaclav Havel, “It Is I Who Must Begin”, in Teaching With Fire, ed. by S.M. Intrator and M. Scribner

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