Time of Advent, time of waiting

Published : 29 November 2018

The angel of the Lord brought the message to Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
She kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Lk 2:19

From the Annunciation to the Nativity, Mary experienced her time of waiting, her time of Advent: nine months during which, as all pregnant women do, she carried within her the mystery of life.

A life that grew slowly within her. Joys… sufferings… hopes… doubts…

A life that would come one day, but that wasn’t yet manifest openly. What meaning then does this time of waiting hold? It may seem useless… nine months is very long! But a mother knows well that this slow and patient gestation engenders life. During this time of Advent, doesn’t Mary teach us to rethink our lives differently? To give new meaning to those times in our lives that were apparently “unfruitful”? Periods of sickness or aging may be among them. The temptation then is to lose hope, because “I can’t do anything anymore,” “I am useless,” “what meaning does my life still have with this inactivity?”

Mary’s pregnancy… nine useless months? Of course not! This time has a meaning; look for it… This time holds a call and a responsibility to live at a deeper level.

Welcome it….

Believe that Life is there already. Believe that Life will be born soon. And so, rejoice!

Sr Thérèse Marie Boillat