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Last Sunday evening December 6, the second Sunday in Advent and Feast of St. Nicholas, I opened my Advent selection and read a history of the Feast accompanied by a lovely prayer at the end of the reading. I thought you might enjoy praying this today on the third Sunday in Advent.
Keep ever before our eyes the image of Nicholas and all the saints. Stir us to more daringly follow them in following you, so that, in abandoning all that stands in the way of greatness, we may in abandonment discover life abundant. Forgive us, we plead, our petty excuses for not being saints. Your love for them was no greater than your love for us. Your sustaining presence to them and in them is your sustaining presence to us and in us. You are for us, as you were for them, "Emmanuel, God with us."
From the deepest depth of our hearts, we cry to you, O Lord. No more excuses. Let this
Christmas be the time when, at long last, we dare to live the gift already given. Amen. Let it be
Prayer from: "God with Us - Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas"
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Oh, those last lines speak so to me today.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
I love the prayer. I love the idea of doing as he did, giving promiscuously to those in need with as little public recognition as possible. The problem is that it's so hard to live up to an ideal like that. I'm more inclined to give with caution, and it's always nice to get lots of thanks and ego rewarding feedback.
ReplyDeleteCP
Thanks SO MUCH for that poem -- just what I needed today...
ReplyDelete"we dare to live the gift already given" oh i love that line. wow! daring daring daring NOW. xoxoox
ReplyDeleteMaureen - yes, the last lines about daring to live the gift already given is a reminder, as well as a challenge!
ReplyDeleteCP - yes, the giving anonymously is difficult even when we want to do that. Suspicion reigns from even those who receive our gift. Humans - we are a strange lot - suppose God created us to be so complex?
Dr. W - always glad to know you read here - thanks:)
Lucy - daring, daring, daring indeed. Our soul sings joy at the same time feeling great sorrow. Perhaps that's what the line means that we dare to live the gift already given. I mean the gift, we know, did not promise all sweetness and light but sweetness and light is certainly easier to swallow than dispair and mourning:(
xoxoxoto you all!