Advent – Spiritual Response

A second candle is lighted, if you use the Advent wreath in your house. Mine’s still atop the fridge, but I hope to bring it down this week and dust it off. It might help me slow down a bit during this time of increased hectivity. That word could be considered a sniglet, from Rich Hall’s HBO program of the 80’s called Not Necessarily the News. I’m not a big fan of the gospel of Matthew, but that’s what we have for this year, so I’ll use it to reflect on specific little things.

For instance, in today’s reading, the least in heaven is considered greater than John the Baptist. As a programmer, this could be written this way:

YourRank BOOLEAN;

YourRank := LEAST(‘any person in heaven’,God) > ‘John the Baptist’;

If this is true (as shown above), you should never sell yourself short.

John

I always find it appropriate that Black Friday and Cyber Monday occur near if not around the first Sunday in Advent. In this case, they bookend it. I’ve written my reflection for this Sunday and one comment I received was from a friend and priest wondering how others viewed the eschatological texts, the readings about the end of the world.

My thought was that we spend too much time focusing on the end, and miss the being here. So I turn the focus to the now, not the future. I didn’t shop on Friday (okay, I had to work), but that’s nothing new. I’ve maybe gone once in the last ten years. And other than ordering something I need for the house, I don’t plan on doing Cyber Monday either. Notice how they’re extending the sale days, anyway?

Stay simple, stay real,

John

Tag: Advent

Second Sunday of Advent

Black Friday – Cyber Monday encircle Advent