One Deacon's Journey

illustration by Daniel Boyles 2001

Our Advent challenge is to seek and find Christ in our world just as it is, not as we wish or even pray it might be. In the words of Thomas Merton, the “fact that the world is other than it might be does not alter the truth that Christ is present in it and His plan has neither been frustrated nor changed: all will be done according to His will.”  Our Advent is the celebration of this hope. “What is uncertain,” writes Merton, “is not the coming of Christ but our own reception of Him, our response to Him and our own readiness and capacity to go forth to meet Him.” Our Advent is much  more than a rehearsal of traditional cultural practices or a nostalgic return to our childhood memories, be they rich or poor. The coming of Christ conveys a sense of God’s presence in our past experiences not for memory’s sake but to find fulfillment in the present and to point us to the new and transforming possibilities of receiving Christ in any and all moments for the sake of our future.

Thomas Merton, Seasons of Celebration