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An Advent Reflection  by Canon Val

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time;
Ephesians 5:15,16a

For many of us we live under the tyranny of time, consuming time just as we do other products, at once never seeming to have quite enough of it while ironically also taking it for granted. We can forget that time is finite, holy really, and at times of the year like Advent, we are asked to be especially aware and to treat time as sacred, as a gift from God like none other. For in the end, it will be how we spent the minutes in our lives that will add up to the kind of life that we have passed. Seasons like Advent, ask us to consider thinking of our daily use of time as part of our worship of God, and as part of our expression of faith.

Throughout Advent we will hear readings that encourage us to first wake from our sleep and then to stay awake. These kinds of encouragements are asking us to take an open and honest look at our lives. As we begin this new Church year, we are invited to examine within ourselves just what it might mean for us as individuals and as members of this faith community to be disciples of Jesus in this moment, in the setting where God has placed us. Are we able to be expectant? Where are the sticking points for us? Where are
opportunities for our growth and development? For we seek, and we ask and we knock, because we have caught a glimpse of the face of our beloved, the one whose love for us knows no bounds. And so, we press on for our hearts having been transformed, we are compelled to continue, to determine what our response of love will be and how we are called to live out intentional lives of gratitude and wonder. The “how” of it all, shapes the kind of questions we carry into this new year. May Advent be for each of us a rich and transformative time, inspired by love and filled with possibilities at every turn.