Are you ready? It seems wherever I go lately, I hear people asking that question: "Are you ready? Are you ready?" It is understood that they are asking if we are ready for Christmas: all the shopping done, packages wrapped and mailed, cookies baked, gatherings and menus planned. It's easy to lose sight of the reason behind all this busyness.
In her book, The Reed of God, Caryll Houselander writes: "We are asked to surrender all that we are, as we are, to the Spirit of Love in order that our lives may bear Christ into the world... For nine months Christ grew in His Mother's body. By His own will she formed Him from herself, from the simplicity of her daily life. She had nothing to give Him but herself. He asked for nothing else. She gave Him herself."
Like Mary, we each have a space for the seed of Love to take root and begin to grow in us. Nothing else can fill that space. We might try stuffing other things into that holy space, but ultimately they can only block the Love we most desire - and were created to share with the world. We must stay empty and wait as the seed of Love begins to grow and take shape. It's not easy... Are you ready?
There's not much we have to do. We are not in charge of the process. Mary's humble yes, "be it done unto me," was enough. Our longing for Love is enough. I recall being pregnant at Christmas with my youngest daughter due in mid-January. I felt very close to Mary that Christmas, especially at our church's Christmas Eve service, the small sanctuary dark and transformed by soft candlelight. Being nine months pregnant, I too was filled with life and everything within me was dedicated to the imminent birth. As Houselander shares above, we give ourselves to Love. And we wait for Love to come. Are you ready?
Today the synchrony of the 4th Sunday of Advent with Christmas Eve, highlights the poignant transition from held-breath waiting to joyful arriving. It's at this pivot point that our longing for the hope, peace, joy and love of Advent will be fulfilled.
It's natural to be somewhat fearful of the unstoppable momentum of birth. But in each of my pregnancies I finally reached a point of feeling like I could not possibly wait another day. Then my fear of the impending birth eased, and I was ready.
In the dark, this night, we wait. We sit with our longing for Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.
The dawn is soon coming. The birth will occur.
Are you ready?
Resources:
Caryll Houselander, Reed of God, Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2006.
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