A Pregnant Pause (Advent resources written by Associate Chaplain, Ali Newell)

Pondering the mystery – Advent 1

Light a candle and pause.

The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and he will be called Son of the most High [Lk 1] …….Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart’[ Lk.2]

To ponder the mystery of the gift of life comes naturally - the beginning of an utterly new being within the womb, a person unique yet deeply connected to the tissue and blood of life gone before.

To ponder the gift of Christ within Mary is to ponder the mystery that God our creator wants to be known in the tissue and blood and matter of our world, wants to be embodied within us, wants to share our vulnerability so that we can learn the way to love each other and our world and find fullness of life.

Mary’s virginity symbolises impossibility, no future. It is into the places of seemingly no future in our lives and in our world, that Christ comes to be present and bring hope, just as being born in poverty in a cow barn, and dying on a cross show us the depth into which God’s love reaches.

As the Archbishop Romero of El Salvador said, ‘Christ is God who takes on all pain and suffering to give it a redemptive value.’ Romero in his life of solidarity with the oppressed people of El Salvador was to bring them much hope in their suffering When he died a martyr, he was remembered and loved as a man filled with the compassion and courage of Christ.

Rowan Williams says of the 16th Century Russian icon of the Virgin of the Sign (see above) ‘Mary opens her hands to God in prayer, but her eyes are open to the world. We look without illusion at the world, its pain, delight, hunger, grief, hope and all of that can shape our prayer. Prayer is not

necessarily best described as looking toward God; it is equally a learning to look at the world as if with God’s eyes. In this icon, Mary looks at us, not at Jesus - she looks with Jesus in her heart, her womb and she opens her hands to God as she sees us’

o Reflect on the icon to lead you into looking at the world aware of Christ’s compassion within you.

A Pregnant PauseSensing new life in others – Advent 2

Light a candle and pause.

‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.’ [Lk 1]

This is a beautiful example of sensing new life - Elizabeth is intuitive and spiritually alert to the inner life of Mary. She is literally [with a baby’s kick] prompted from within. How do we develop our inner hearing to become aware of the presence of Christ in another and having become aware? Elizabeth and Mary shared their joy, but it may be that what we hear in another is pain, or loss or the struggle to love. How do we listen for the Spirit’s prompting within us so that we honour the hidden presence of Christ in the other? Can we stay with people at the heart of their experience – their hope, fear, anger, distress, joy? Can we listen to their deepest desires for life and love? Can we watch and wait and help each other as Mary and Elizabeth did, in preparation to bring to birth God’s life among us.

o Use the experience of Elizabeth to help you meditate on a time in which you have been blessed by the presence of another person and have responded in relationship.

St Ignatius spoke of the divine leap of God into our world in Christ – a leap of love and self -giving towards us. May we respond to that leap of love and let it inspire all our relationships.

In the many details of this daylet me be fully alive.In the handling of foodand the sharing of drink,in the preparing of workand the uttering of words,in the meeting of friends and the interminglings of relationshipLet me be alive to each instant, O God,let me be fully alive. John Philip Newell ‘Sounds of the Eternal’

A Pregnant Pause Becoming aware of God our inner strength - Advent 3

Light a candle and pause

‘Thou hast been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in their distress. A shelter art thou in the storm, a shade art thou in the heat.’[Is.25]

Mary sheltered and defended the God-child within her and he would become the great defender, lover and liberator of humanity. How do we defend the God space within us so that we may come to know God as our strength in life and in death?

Etty Hillisum the 20th century Jewish mystic has this to say as she realises the magnitude of the suffering of her people in the labour camps.

‘One thing is becoming increasingly clear to me: that You cannot help us God, that all we can manage these days and all that really matters is that we safeguard this little piece of You, God, in ourselves and in others as well. There doesn’t seem much you can do about our circumstances but we must help you and defend Your dwelling place inside us to the last…….Some people are just a shelter for a thousand fears and bitter feelings and they say ‘I shan’t let the enemy get me get me into their clutches’ They forget that no one is in their clutches who is in Your arms.

The jasmine behind my house has been completely ruined by the rains and storms of the last few nights but somewhere inside me the jasmine continues to bloom unperturbed and its spreads its scent around the House in which You dwell. You see I look after You. I bring you not only my tears and my forebodings, I even bring you scented jasmine.’ Etty Hillisum ‘An Interrupted life’

Etty was to work tirelessly and generously for those facing the concentration camp where she herself later died. She said ‘We should be willing to act as balm for all wounds’ Hers was a grace of wisdom and compassion borne from pain.

o Dwell meditatively on the scripture text above and reflect on how to tend our inner space.

I have tasted the fruit of the earth, O God.I have seen autumn trees hang heavily with heaven’s gifts.I have known people pregnant with your spirit of generosity.Let these be guides to me this day.And may Mary who knew her womb filled with your goodnessteach me the wisdom that is born amidst pain.May I know that deeper than any fallowness in meIs the seed planted in the womb of my soul.May I know that greater than any barrenness in the worldis the harvest to be justly shared. John Philip Newell ‘Celtic Benediction’

A Pregnant Pause Labouring to bring to birth – Advent 4

Light a candle and pauseStrengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come and save you’ [Is 35]

God beyond all time, you are labouring within usWe are moving, we are changing in your spirit ever new. Refrain: All around us we have known you, all creation lives to hold you.In our living and our dying we are bringing you to birth ‘God beyond all names’ song by Bernadette Farrell

Labour is hard work. Many mothers prepare for it by practising breathing methods. Working with the breath can help a labouring mother to let go to body wisdom and to the powerful energies that enable the birth process – painful though it may be. In our labouring, can we learn to let go to God, to let go to God’s powerful creative purposes in and through suffering that lead to the birthing of justice, peace and love in our world?

o Dwell on the scripture text above meditatively or simply follow the breath to let go to GodTo wait, to endure, to be vulnerableto accept, to be of good courageto go on day after day after day;to be heavy with hopeto carry the weight of the futureto anticipate with joyto withdraw with fearuntil the pain overcomes the waters breakand the light of the world is crowned.Then the travail is over. Joy has overcome.

Lord of heaven and earth,Crowned with blood at your birthdelivered with pain,bring new hope to birth in your waiting worldbring fresh joy to those who weep.Be presentIn all our dyings and birthings. Kate McIlhagga ‘Pattern of our days’