Merry Christmas, Merry Waiting
Happy last gasp of Advent to you! Here in Seattle we’ve been snowed (or iced) in since Tuesday, and I know it’s bitterly cold most everywhere right now. How worried am I about our unhoused neighbors in these conditions? Very. Seattle has warming centers open, and I hope every city does, but, of course, they won’t meet all the need. Holy Family, who also sought shelter where there was none, have mercy.
For those of you reading and praying your way through the St. Óscar Romero Advent devotional, I hope it has been very fruitful for you!
For those who were not able to attend the Advent retreat Room at the Inn: An Ignatian Journey into Advent with the Holy Family, here is the link! Kelly Latimore’s gorgeous icons and visio divina meditation were so beautiful, and I loved being able to talk a bit about some of my favorite spiritual voices (Simone Weil, St. Ignatius, Greg Boyle!) and lead us in an imaginative meditation on the nativity.
Here is the prayer I wrote for us, accompanied by Kelly’s icon, The Holy Family of the Streets.
Another fun Advent thing: I had the opportunity to be part of the Jesuit Conference’s series on Ignatian heroes. I wrote about Blessed Rutilio Grande, who many of you know as a pivotal figure in St. Óscar Romero’s life; he inspires me so much not only in his fearless and justice-centered ministry, but also in his struggles with his mental health. You can find my reflection on those themes here.
Finally, something I’ve been thinking about this Advent that I hadn’t ever considered before is just how much the waiting continues on after Christmas, after the nativity. We wait thirty years for Jesus’ ministry to begin. Three more years for the resurrection. Two thousand years, and counting, for it to be on earth as it is in heaven. It’s been a comfort to me to realize that, and I hope it is a comfort to everyone who does not turn out the lights on Christmas evening with the world made entirely right. It’s okay. Still, we wait. Here is a prayer for us.
I’m always so keenly aware of the grief, the loss, the pain that many of us carry into these holy days. And so I hope that this email will serve as a warm digital hug to you, wherever you may be, whatever you may be facing.
In the hope of God who makes all things new,
Cameron