Lent. We tend to think of Advent as a time of joyful anticipation and Lent as a dismal period of sack cloth and ashes.
How ridiculous.
We are preparing to celebrate THE most joyful event in the history of humanity, the death and resurrection of our Saviour. Lent is the most joyful, light filled season for me because I empty myself so that I might die and rise with Christ in triumphant glory. The darkness of my sin, the sin of others or the sin of the world is not a malignant force as much as it is simply the absence of light. The light of just one candle banishes darkness.
“Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has
been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
In Italy, there is a beautiful expression
that refers to the birthing of a child:
“Dare alla luce,”
which means, “to give to the light.”
I have been pregnant during Advent and given birth right on Christmas Eve and I have been pregnant all of Lent and given birth right on Easter Morning. Both pregnancies and births were a time ” to give to the light”, to give new life to Christ. In a sense we are all pregnant during Advent and Lent every year and we all give birth to Christ within us more fully every Christmas and every Easter morning.
.
.
.
For the next two months or so, I will be spending 4 days a week with one of my daughters who is in premature , silent labour at 32 weeks gestation because her husband will work 10 hour days to get Friday off. She is housebound and can not stand for longer than 10 minutes at a time. Since she was running around as an Early Childhood Educator in her job, this rest should allow her son to stay put in the womb for another 3 weeks or so. Even with the worry of a premature delivery, it is a time of excitement, joy and light. Waiting once again for a human baby and waiting for Christ to be born anew within my heart.
joy of nine9 
Blessings to you, your daughter and her family, and to the grandbaby!
LikeLike
thank-you. I JUST wrote this, so your prayer is a real boost.
LikeLike
Praying for you and your daughter and family. Hope all goes well
LikeLike
thank-you
LikeLike
I had a miscarriage the Saturday before Easter 2012, and I was crying so much during Easter mass the next day that I had to leave. All the “alleluia-ing” and bells ringing and happiness was just too much. I LOVE the expression you wrote about—“to give to the light.” Of course I know my tiny baby had a soul and is in God’s loving embrace, waiting to meet me someday. Thank you for your healing words.
Many prayers for your daughter and her baby! Prayers for you as well, I am sure it is hard for you to see your daughter going through all of this.
LikeLike
i am teary eyed but you are right; you gave yout baby to the Light
LikeLike
Melanie, My 2nd son was born on Christmas Day. People always ask if he feels like he was cheated by that. We understand that is because of the secularism associated with Christmas today, and, in a way, if that’s what you’re looking at, he is, but he will also tell you that everyone shares a birthday with someone and he can’t think of anyone better to share with than the Baby Jesus! 🙂
We will be praying for your family, especially for your daughter, her husband, and that precious new baby. I hope you share wonderful news with us all in a few weeks!
God Bless…
LikeLike
Your meditation on all of us giving light to the Christ within us is so beautiful! And that is just delightful that you have given birth both on Christmas Eve and Easter morning.
LikeLike
to me it was a wonderful sign of His love
LikeLike