On Advent, hope, and expectation

Nine years ago, after the deaths of my mother and father a year apart from each other, I was in a little bit of a spiritual crisis.  Interestingly, maybe oddly, I took a lot of comfort in choral music, medieval chants and polyphony.  I also took a lot of comfort in meditating, and would sometimes drive to a monastery in Conyers, Georgia, and just-- well-- sit. Meditation particularly interested me as it related to specific liturgical seasons like Advent and Easter--seasons that were definitely proving difficult to enjoy.  Growing up in a large Roman Catholic family, the season of Advent was a particularly big deal in our house. We always had an Advent wreath on the dining room table, and I got to do the selected readings each week when we lit each candle. Also, each day I got to look forward to opening a window of my Advent Calendar, hoping that there was a treat inside.

So, a little bit adrift nine years ago, I took a deeper look at the readings and lessons of Advent, hoping that they would give me some assistance in getting out of my spiritual funk.  Well, they definitely provided me with some comfort and guidance -- though I must confess to still being a spiritual wanderer.  All that being said, here's the take away: regardless of your own faith life, I hope these readings and my meditations on some of them can provide you with some company (or at least some interesting scenery) in your own faith journey during this season of Advent -- or whenever you might need them through the year.