As I sit here reflecting on the reading for today, my mind cannot help but look back on this year. Look back and realizing how lucky I am to be in this faith community, but also that even though it has been a very hard one, it also unknowingly been a year of growth spiritually. 

I have been going over the readings and two words stick out for me.  The first being water in the form of running water, flowing in a river or flowing in the sea.  Water is an element given by God in nature.  We drink it, bath in it, cook with it and give it to plants for growth.  It inspires an image of peace, tranquility, calmness, ongoing as the waves go out for ever.  Yet its sound if listened to carefully can be said to be God speaking to us, as the waves move in all directions going on as far as the eye can see.  Since buying my home and living on the Quinnipiac River; I have the joy of relaxing near the water and looking out into it, but also listening to the sound of the water as it moves in all directions and hit the rocks or in the summer watching people fish along it.  Just as was done in God’s time fishermen pulling from the sea nets filled with their daily meals.  It never fails that when I leave there and go back to my home, a feeling of calmness and peace comes over me.  Feeling like as it says in the first reading from Isiah ‘hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river” and my vindication or proof that God is in my presence always.

Another word that stood out is from the responsorial psalm “he is like a tree”.  The word tree gives the image or idea of strength, steadfastness, support, and never moving.  Just as God is, or as my Parents were a piece of life that has given me all those plus wisdom and love.   A tree especially a very old one has wisdom to offer us all, just as God does.  For an old tree has had to learn to adapt and survive over hundreds of years in all kinds of weather and changes in the terrain.  If we were to look at the trunk we would see with every growth ring that is a year of life and a year of support, strength, knowledge and commitment for its roots are planted deep in the earth, giving strength and support; just as our lives are planted deep in the life of God and all those family and friends who are a part of our life. Giving us strength for endurance, support to overcome hardships, and God is showing his people, he is a never moving part of our lives. These images and words help us to know that if we follow God he will provide all these and endure in our lives forever.  This was never shown to me more than, this year as I watched my own mother, my tree, my link to this earth slowly lose her battle to cancer and slowly begin her journey from this life to her eternal life with God and my dad.

Water and trees are words so often used especially. as we move forward on our advent journey.  I ask that we all look at our own Christmas trees and as we give them water that we all have the feeling of peace, and calmness in life as we await God’s coming.