Be Kind, Be safe, Be respectful, Be responsible, Be resilient, Be ready

Dear Parents and Carers

In December we will begin the season of Advent.

Nearly 2000 years ago John the Baptist echoed the words of the prophet Isaiah, when he preached: “Get the road ready for the Lord, make a straight path to travel…. The winding roads must be made straight and the rough plains made smooth ‘ Luke 3:4,5.

John isn't speaking about making a road from one town to another, he is talking about a road where all obstacles have been removed for the coming of Christ into our lives. He urges us to make smooth the rough places in our lives- greed, selfishness, unkindness, thoughtlessness?- fill the hollows- anger, judgemental attitudes, untruthfulness- make low the mountains and hills- spiritual laziness, materialism, exclusion of God- that would prevent us from welcoming Jesus into our lives.

The season of Advent, which is upon us, is a season of preparation, a time for attending to the disrepair of our ‘roads to Christ that has occurred over the past year. Advent can be an opportunity to clean up the past and find new energy and commitment to our life as a Christian.

Advent is preparation time for the coming of Christ at Christmas, when we are invited to accept Christ, not only into the world but into our personal lives. Journeying with Christ, for Christians is a life long journey to joy and peace; and, we might have to make changes in our lives before we get started.

Sometimes change can be difficult for it can be hindered by past hurts and failures. To be an agent for change, we have to learn to let go of the past, for our life is to be led now and the ‘future’ quickly becomes ‘the now’. It seems that humanity is forever saddled with change and the quality of our life, particularly our spiritual life, depends on how well we can prepare ourselves so that change can be possible and of benefit to our lives.

It's possible that complacency can allow us to move through life, comfortable with our quality of life and the fact that ‘we don't hurt anyone’. We appear to be doing the right thing. But, when we look at Jesus whom we are preparing to welcome, are we as good as we think?

Advent offers an opportunity for us to have a good look at how we are travelling. In what direction are we travelling? Are we going somewhere significant that indicates true purpose in our life?

Keep Smiling

Cathy

Lunchtime dancing