An Advent Meditation to Use

Around the world…Across the country…Among churches and neighborhoods…the spirit of Christmas is alive and well within many homes and church communities. It is the same spirit which St. Francis of Assisi caught in a vision back in 1223 and which St. Bonaventure wrote about in great detail in Life of St. Francis of Assisi:

“It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] determined to keep it with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of lightness or novelty, he asked and obtained the permission of the sovereign Pontiff. Then he prepared a manger, and brought hay, and an ox and an ass to the place appointed. The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise. The man of God [St. Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the Levite of Christ. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of His love, He called Him the Babe of Bethlehem. A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Grecio, who, for the love of Christ, had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this holy man, affirmed that he beheld an Infant marvellously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep. This vision of the devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him that saw it, but by reason of the miracles which afterwards confirmed its truth. For example of Francis, if it be considered by the world, is doubtless sufficient to excite all hearts which are negligent in the faith of Christ; and the hay of that manger, being preserved by the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and many other pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying his servant, and witnessing to the great efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest prodigies and miracles.” ~ St. Bonaventure

The tradition continues today. Many religious programs are reenacting the “living” nativity within churches, prayer gardens, and church halls. It’s a beautiful physical reminder of the divine embracing the world. And, yet, after all these years, the story is taken for granted and the message becomes mundane though, each year, the season of Advent is a reminder not to fall victim to everyday monotony when viewing the face of God.

It was with these thoughts that I wrote the following meditation which I offer to all of you trying to reach the mind, hearts, and souls of our young Catholics in our religious ed programs this Advent season.

Having taken the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises for almost 10 years now, I personally think meditation is one of the most productive, calming, spiritually divine ways to pray. It’s something many religious ed program miss the opportunity to introduce to our young people. Our young Catholics are not comfortable with silence, calm, or peace if they have never experienced it or welcomed into its presence on a regular basis.

Yet it is beautiful. It is holy!

Through meditations, we welcome the youth into a pause that greets them without expectations, without discomfort.

Perhaps I’ll discuss meditations in more details within a separate post at a later date. For this month, let’s look at the divine.

This meditation was the one presented to our 6th-12th grade classes during our Advent Presentation. I share it with all of you in hopes that it will bless and guide your Advent preparations.

Advent Meditation by Cay Gibson (PDF file)

{This meditation includes visual props but may be done with only a reader and a flashlight—read slowly, meditatively, pausingly—in a dark setting which invites the youth to visit with God and no one else around them.}