Today we begin the holy season of Advent. It is a joyful season and we often gather around an Advent wreathe each evening to light a candle for each of the four weeks of Advent.
The reflection in Give Us This Day for the First Sunday of Advent is from St. Teresa of Avila and worth copying here:
"Here's what a friendship with our dearest Companion, our holiest God, is like. In it, intimacy is always possible and can't be stopped, except on our side, for God is always open to us. Nothing can come between us and God, our Spouse, and we can be alone with God whenever we want, as long as we want. All we have to do is desire it.
So let us close the door our our worldly calendars and deadlines and live instead in paradise with the God of love. If we desire this closeness that comes from closing the door on the world, we must realize that that door is our hearts. We don't have to be mystics to accomplish this communion. We only need to focus on God with our will. That's all. It's our own choice, and because God loves us, we can do this.
Don't confuse this state with empty silence. I am speaking of a turning inward and a listening. St. Teresa of Avila
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