Advent comes to us as a window God opens into his heart, inviting us to contemplate the deepest truth humanity
has ever known.
With these words Archbishop Hosam begins his commendation of a newly published booklet of prayers for Advent devised by clergy of the Diocese of Jerusalem, presented as a series of reflections on Biblical statements about love. He continues:
And if the Incarnation is God’s love for us, then Christmas calls us to translate this love into our daily living.
Christ was not born to change the world by force, but by love. Therefore, he invites us also to begin with simple,
sincere steps—steps that resemble his gentle steps toward humanity.
In the booklet, each day of Advent is provided with a Biblical verse for the day, a prayer and a reference to the intention of the day in the Diocesan cycle of prayer. The majority of the texts come from John (First Letter and Gospel) and 1 Corinthians 13, augmented by individual references to love contained in other Epistles. The reference is overt in, for example Day 8's suggestion. Archdeacon Fuad's prayer in response to the text 1 John 4:16 reads:
Teach us to trust
in your love as the apostle John taught, and to rest in the shelter of your grace with a steadfast
peace that cannot be shaken. Grant us eyes to see the traces of Your love in the details of our
lives, and hearts that praise You for every mercy that dawns upon us with the rising of each
new day.
Sometimes the link is not overt but linked by reflection of the fundamental meaning of the text. On day 17, the text is John 15:12. Dean Richard Sewell's prayer is about reconciliation as he asks
"Help us to live out
love with no boundaries or limits."
The last few days include verses from the familiar birth narratives in Matthew and Luke. The final prayer by Rev'd Fares Naoum includes the petition:
Renew your birth within us, awaken our hope, heal our wounds, and plant in us a heavenly
calm that teaches us we are not alone.
The prayer booklet has been enthusiastically received by the international Anglican family. Typical Facebook responses are "Thank you so much. Absolutely beautiful. Yes. Yes. Yes;" and
Oh what a gift to us all.
The booklet can be downloaded here. You may also donate to the Diocese of Jerusalem.
