We might dream of a magic moment when a magician appears offering us three wishes, but that’s the stuff of fairy tales.
Desire
with full hearts
May we attain your promises, which surpass every human desire.
let go the net
It is commonly wrongly thought that the call of God is at odds with our deepest human longings. But when we do set out on the paths that God has revealed, we discover that we are truly ourselves.
to forgive
My lack of forgiveness rarely affects the one who has caused my pain, but it has a huge negative effect on me emotionally, physically, psychologically and therefore spiritually.
our holy longing
While at times we are faced with decisions involving good and evil, most often our choices are between something good, something better, and perhaps a best option.
easily pleased
It’s 56 years today since CS Lewis died. One of my favourite Lewis quotes is about the boy making mud-pies: “…We are far too easily pleased”
following desire
In every moment, any human is motivated by attraction, or by resistance. Those who are beginners in life’s journey simply go with attraction and act against whatever they consider to be distasteful.
can I be sure?
The mature person of prayer knows that the deepest human desire is not to have our little prayers magically answered, but to know that God is with us in our joys, hopes, griefs and anxieties.
fully human
It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us
progress
Earlier in the year I moved into the heart of Christchurch city where I now live in the Cathedral presbytery beside the earthquaked Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. You can see the remains of the destroyed Cathedral sanctuary behind me in this video clip – an appropriate backdrop for this first Advent reflection on making progress and moving forward
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just one thing
they could have rushed back home to see the faces of their family and watch The Chase before dinner.
open the gates
For you are the living temple of God. Open up that temple, make it spacious, give it height.
be the first
With Christ we are freed from the trap of following every fad, fashion, celebrity or opinion.
so simple
These complications are very useful, and make the watch more… complicated.
get dressed
This divine dressing is not a lengthy process needing skilled tailors and holy-wardrobe assistants.