CAMPUS MINISTRY

ADVENT

All good things require a time of waiting - whether it is the long-awaited holiday, exam results or turning a particular age. Our Church year (the Liturgical year) has these periods too. On Sunday, the Church began the season of Advent which begins around four weeks before we celebrate Christmas.

In times of waiting, we prepare for the big event. We might shop, clean, write invitations or hang decorations. Advent asks of us a different kind of preparedness. To celebrate the coming of God amongst us in the birth of Jesus - to really begin to see what this means personally for us – we need hearts which are open, free, flexible and receptive - like the minds of children who marvel at all they see. A mind that’s not filled with worries for tomorrow, but alert and awake in the present moment.

Advent is time of waiting, a time of hoping without knowing and a time of emptying so that we can be filled by the divine Presence.

As we near the end of the year, finding space to just 'be' away from the busyness of functions, lists, shopping, and then more shopping, is vital. Turning off our devices, enjoying a meal with loved ones or spending an evening watching the sunset are all small ways we can slow ourselves down to create a space where we might hear God’s still, quiet voice beckoning us, calling us to prepare ourselves for the greatest gift we might receive– God’s life and love within us.

Happy Advent!

Mr Chris Kan

Dean of Campus Ministry