We continue the journey to Christmas
Sunday 10th December is the Second Sunday of Advent and time to light the second Advent candle. At St Augustine’s Priory we have been preparing for the coming of Christ this week with the Nursery and Prep nativities and next week, on Tuesday 12th December, we gather together for our Christmas Carol Service in Ealing Abbey. The prayer below, another by Raymond Friel, asks us to examine our lives and to learn to see things through the eyes of Jesus.
Advent: second week
God of salvation,
All through the history of Israel
You sent prophets to show the people
The true path, the right way to behave,
Preparing them for the full revelation of your nature
In the person of Jesus, born in Bethlehem.
At this time of year, we hear about the prophet John the Baptist,
A voice crying in the wilderness, living a tough life
On a diet of locusts and wild honey,
Completely focused on his mission to prepare
A way for the Lord. His message was “repent”
And as we continue our Advent journey we reflect
On what we should be sorry for,
For those aspects of our life which we know are not quite right
And need to change, for those habits
Which do not serve you or our neighbour but only ourselves.
We also think of “repent” as an invitation to change,
To change our mindset,
To consider where we look for happiness.
Is it in loving relationships with people, giving our time
And talent to others,
or in things which are passing and shallow?
Give us the grace, loving Father,
To repent, to change the way we see things,
Slowly but surely, until we see the world
Through the compassionate eyes
Of Jesus Christ, your Son,
Our Lord.
Raymond Friel
