This Advent season, which begins today, is a time of darkness and stillness and quiet. It is the time the Church has set aside for centuries to prepare for Christ. So let us now take a moment to center ourselves, to seek silence, to make room in our hearts for the beloved guest who is … READ MORE…
For us today, Advent is a time to explore the spiritual ideas of waiting, patience and delayed gratification. We are counting the days until Christmas and allowing ourselves to hope for all of the best to come. The concept of the Advent wreath actually originated in pre-Christian times when people would gather evergreens and light … READ MORE…
Happy New Year! That doesn’t sound quite right, does it? We’re still digesting our third round of leftover turkey sandwiches, maybe putting up Christmas lights. It’s not New Year’s resolutions time yet. But the Church marches to a different beat. Its year begins today with the First Sunday of Advent. Situating ourselves in the Church … READ MORE…
If you can’t see the video embedded below (it takes a few minutes to load, so be patient), you can click here to view it on another site.
You may soon see new Advent posters around the Cathedral Campus. But wait…that’s not all….there’s an app for that! If you use a device with iOS7, you can download the app. From Churchpublishing.org: Walk, don’t run, through Advent with the inimitable artwork of Jay Sidebotham. It’s Advent! is a daily devotional suitable for all ages. … READ MORE…
Canon Chris Harris brings to our attention this post, originally published during Advent on the progressive Episcopalian blog “Friends of Jake”. Written by a member of St Paul’s, the essay was also featured in the newsletter for the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York Last Sunday, I was sitting in the side section on the right … READ MORE…
It is the fourth week of Advent; may we remember children and their parents, they are and always have been the best hope the world knows. The child was made with breath & whispers; the warm tones of flesh in a rose-colored flush, the red of blood. The child, made in an embrace, was hope … READ MORE…
The third week of Advent is closed. Witness to the murders at Sandy Hook Elementary school it might seem that the reflective spirit; the expectant hope of the season of Advent is broken. When lives are taken in spasms of violence it is heart breaking—but that so many this time were children. Children are not … READ MORE…
During our Advent Forum series and our Advent Edition of Living Wi$ely (online here: http://stpaulcathedral.org/9am-forum and here http://stpaulcathedral.org/livingwisely ) we have been talking about Advent Calendars and how they can be much more than a fond childhood memory about little cardboard windows and chocolates. They can really be a wonderful devotional, helping us to slow … READ MORE…