Task of Advent
“Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.…
It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.”
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
thedailylily.com 
I have never thought of Advent as a “healing memory”. I have meditated over the awe inspiring idea of God becoming man. When I think on this, it calls me to consider that Christian beliefs demand that I think if I desire to operate in faith.
Perhaps I would think of it as ADVENT’S being a REMEMBERING of the PROMISES and the REMEMBERING of the fulfillment of those PROMISES. In Genesis, God told the serpant in the presence of Adam and Eve that He would send SOMEONE, (the Messiah) Who would crush the serpant’s head. It was foretold about the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6. It was then fulfilled and related to us in Matthew and Luke. And then it was confirmed in Galatians 4:4 which said in due time GOD SENT HIS SON and in many other SCRIPTURES, also.
I think of thedailylily as the ADVENT MINISTRY or the MINISTRY OF THE ADVENT, also. LILY is proclaiming, (trumpeting), like the voice of Elijah, and of John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord for He is truly at hand. When John cried out in the desert, there was no more time! Jesus was already in the world!! The Messiah was right there in their midst, flesh and blood and bone. John cried out. Some came. Many did not. A short time later,when someone asked Jesus why did He say that first, Elijah must come, Jesus answered that it was true AND that Elijah, the prophet, had indeed come; not only was that a reference to John the Baptist who came in the spirit of Elijah but that spirit of Elijah and John is released in the world this very day and it is in that SPIRIT, godly SPIRIT, that thedailylily cries out to all who have ears to hear and eyes to read that the hour is late, the Messiah is at hand and He is seeking those who would answer His call and be embraced into the Kingdom of God.
We will light one more Advent Candle next week…the last week. His coming may be even closer than that. Will you who have not called upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the King, open your hearts to the message of the Gospel? It is such a wondrous, glorious message of GOOD NEWS for all of us.
God PROMISED He would send the Messiah. He did! He fulfills every promise that He makes. Jesus PROMISED He would come back for us, those of us who make HIM our Lord and Savior and King. He’s coming. He Who promised is faithful. Sara said, “the Midnight Cry” The Midnight Cry inot only is the “shout” from Heaven to “come up”..but the Midnight Cry is also….CRY OUT TO JESUS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!
ADVENT MEANS HE”S COMING VERY SOON> He promised!!!
I read this quote and this scripture came to my mind..Mark 10:14 but when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Permit the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter into it…..When I read this ..I thought of how God came into this world..as a child…and now He asks us to enter His kingdom as a little child,…(heartwise..trustingly and obediently)..dj
I like to go back and read Sara’s blog ‘Generational Negatives Part II Obedience’ (on the last page under Inspiration)at Christmastime. Why? Well one reason is because it serves as a reminder to be on the look-out because holiday’s have a way of causing negative behaviors to emerge that very often typify a pattern that is ‘handed down’ from one generation to another. Holiday’s can be a recipe for great memories or a cauldron for painful ones to stir, stew and literally boil over.
But here in Sara’s blog above we have prescription for pain: Focus on Advent and receive a healing memory that will displace the darkness of haunting memories with a hope that will not disappoint.
Thank you for this unique revelation.
Along with this blog I would recommend to the Lily readers to go back under Inspiration and read “Who Makes up My World, Trust Was Born” by Sara. Like the above quote, this article reminded me to focus my thoughts and being on Hope Himself and to realize that Hope (and Joy and Peace and Trust, etc.) was born at Christmas. That’s a good memory!