Colourful Dreamer

Merry Christmas. A big day for many. A hard day for many as well. A non-event for some. I wonder what Christmas is for you as we celebrate this day? For me Christmas invites us to enter into the wonder and mystery of the incarnation – the coming of God among us in this very human baby – however we understand that. Franciscan priest Richard Rohr describes this as God's pre-emptive strike for love. Not a rescue mission. Not a response to anything humanity had done. But, as John Dunne Scotus says, the coming of God’s self in Christ in love as God's first self-giving thought. God is eternally faithful. That reminds me that Christmas is important, but it is not the point. The point is what happens next – how we respond to this story. In the gospel reading from Luke there are a number of ways various groups or individuals respond; they give full throated praise; journey to see; tell; go home and return to life as it was and is; they ponder. In each case the events of Chris...

Without looking we have arrived at the fourth Sunday of Advent with its theme of love. As we rush headlong into Christmas we are invited, on this day we traditionally focus on Mary, to stop and take a moment to rest with Mary and Elisabeth in this intimate and holy moment. With Mary we will sing and pray her prophetic psalm of praise and protest. Yes protest. We are too used to singing it from our place of privilege. This is the song of an invisible poor peasant girl from a small unimportant village in a land under brutal occupation voicing God’s protest against the powerful, important, wealthy and privileged elite who defined who mattered and who didn’t. Her fear and uncertainty mingled with hope and lead to her to voice what the outworking of God’s love looks like. God’s love and justice starts with Mary, the God-bearer; and all the poor and so called unimportant men and women who are defined by God as of utmost importance and value. We see them today in migrant caravans, refu...

Gate Pa – Year C  3 rd Sunday in Advent, Readings: Psalm                          Isaiah 12:2-6 (God Is My Salvation)               First Reading :                         Zephaniah 3:14-20                              Second Reading :                    Philippians  4:4-7                           ...