The dominant picture of this Advent season is that of the child growing in the Virgin Mary’s womb. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel” (Is. 7; 14).
The child is growing quietly in the womb. The child is growing in the darkness of the womb. The child is growing slowly in the womb. And all the time we wait patiently
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens when the leaves fall from the trees. It happens when the days are shortening. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens when the nights are lengthening. It happens when the darkness is overpowering the day. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens when the seeds return to the earth. It happens when the seeds germinate in the earth. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens when the seeds prepare for the bursting forth of spring. It happens while the seeds long to be born. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens when we walk through the woods surrounding St. Thomas More Church. We are awed and inspired by nature. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens when we are confronted everywhere with a thing of beauty. We have a spiritual awakening. We have a revelation. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we wonder in utter amazement at this thing of beauty. We ponder the beauty. We absorb the beauty. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we smell the beauty. We soak up the beauty. We flood the body with stress-free hormones. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we have mystical experiences reflecting on the trees, the multi-colored leaves, the deer, the rabbits, the wild — turkeys, the raccoons, the groundhogs and the birds. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we meditatively stroll. We stroll through all the vegetation, all the life, and all the dying of the outdoors. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we face our own birth, our own life and our own death. It is all so quiet. It is all so slow in evolving. We are amazed and we meditate. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we move to a deeper respect for life and death. We are urged and inspired by this wilderness beauty. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we contemplate our own birthing and our own living and our own dying and our own rising. There is an invisible rhythm. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we observe the integration and wholeness and weaving that is central to all of life. This seamless threading absorbs our well-being and permeates our longevity. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we look for our unique individual purpose. We search for our unique individual meaning. We probe the secrets. We long for answers. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we witness the great survival that exists in the outdoors. We come to know there is an ongoing greatness and delicate balance of trees, leaves, wildlife, earth, oxygen, and rain. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we marvel at the evolution of all of life. We reverence and respect all human life from conception until death through natural causes. We marvel at the magnificence of it all. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we allow the elements of grace to emerge from our natural surroundings. When we are ready, God’s grace always emerges. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while God’s grace emerges ever so slowly and ever so quietly. We give the process time. We let it sink in. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we intuit the sacred is there. The sacred is hidden. The sacred is within. The sacred is without. The sacred is everywhere. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while the sacred is before us; is behind us; is to the left of us; is to the right of us; is above me; is below me; is within me; is all around me. And all the time we wait patiently.
The mystery of the child growing in a virgin’s womb happens while we adore the sacred in the stillness of the virgin’s womb. Mary is longing. Mary is reverencing. Mary is expecting. Mary is patient. Mary is waiting. And all the time we wait patiently.
“Waiting patiently
In expectation
Is the foundation
Of the spiritual life” (Simone Weil)
Msgr. Thomas J. Morgan is pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, Cherry Hill.
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