Some may have difficulty with the word ‘God’. It can be substituted with words such as Divinity, Infinite Self, Unity, Fullness, Eternity, Peace, Freedom, Compassion, Love, Source, Foundation etc: or whatever word a person feels comfortable with. I used the word ‘Eternity’ for God.
We are in the season of Advent preparing for Christmas. The season of Advent is the season of sowing, nourishing and the season of waiting for results. A farmer prepares the ground and sows seeds, waters and provides what is necessary for the seeds to bear fruit. They have to wait patiently for the results. We reap what we sow. For a farmer, from the time of sowing to the time of reaping is called the season of Advent. A woman becomes pregnant. She has to nourish the child in the womb and wait nine months to give birth. The period of pregnancy is the period of Advent. If there is no pregnancy there is no season of Advent, no season of waiting, no celebration of the Christmas birth.
St. Paul says that the whole of creation is groaning eagerly to give birth to sons and daughters of Eternity. The birth of creation is sowing the seed of Eternity, the Word of Eternity. It is as if Eternity becomes pregnant. The season of Advent for Eternity begins. This seed of Eternity has to grow into the sons and daughters of Eternity. Eternity waits for the birth of her children. Eternity waits for the celebration of Christmas. This process is not mechanical because Eternity needs the cooperation of human beings, Eternity needs spiritual virgins who open Time to eternity.
In this sense we can say that the whole process of evolution, from the time of the Big Bang, is the period of Advent. Time is the preparation for eternity and the purpose of Time is fulfilled when it gives birth to eternity. When Time becomes pregnant with the seed of eternity then Time is in the season of Advent. It is nourishing the seed of eternity to give birth to eternity. When Christ began his ministry, the first statement he made was, “The Time is fulfilled, the eternity, the kingdom of God is here”.
All enlightened beings are the fruits of this Advent, the celebration of Christmas. Whenever and wherever enlightenment takes place, it is the birth of Eternity, it is Christmas. All enlightened beings become aware of the seed of eternity within them, they nourish it and bring it forth to bear fruit. They celebrate Christmas, which does not happen only once but happens again and again. It is the will and the plan of Eternity that every human being should celebrate this Christmas and grow into the son or daughter of Eternity, to be enlightened, to give birth to Eternity within. But somehow human beings are capable of forgetting this call, this purpose and becoming distracted. They take their journey in the wrong direction, creating their own purpose, sowing their own seeds: they become blocked and do not live the season of Advent. They are satisfied celebrating someone else’s Christmas, neglecting their own Christmas.
The purpose of our life is to give birth to divinity or eternity within us, a birth which is also our own birth into divinity, into eternity. Our Christmas is also the Christmas of Eternity. Until that happens our life is a period of Advent. Master Eckhart asked what profit is there if Christ was born through Mary in Bethlehem in the past but he is not born within us today? Christ or Eternity needs to be born in everyone’s life.
So that we can have a fruitful season of Advent we need to sow the seeds of divinity or Eternity, we need to nourish them and wait for the birth of divinity. It may be useful to choose one attribute of Eternity or Divinity (Divinity has infinite attributes) during this season of Advent and nourish that attribute until it bears fruit.
For example one can choose the attribute of love and try to cultivate that attribute with one or two individuals. One can chose the attribute of forgiveness and nourish that attribute. One can choose the attribute of compassion and nourish it. One can choose the attribute of kindness and nourish it. One can choose according to one’s inclination. It may be useful to plant a seed in a pot and name that seed with the attribute a person wants to cultivate and nourish it every day, pouring water on it and giving it manure. Then people can bring that plant for the celebration of Christmas.
These are the simple ways we can prepare for Christmas.
Every Moment needs to be Christmas
Christmas represents the ultimate destiny of time, creation and human existence. Human beings, the climax of creation, are manifested to give birth to the attributes of Eternity in daily life. When Eternity created Adam and Eve it told them to be fruitful and multiply. This did not mean just the multiplication of physical children but included the multiplication of divine attributes in relationships. This means celebrating Christmas each moment, giving birth to Eternity each moment.
Each moment is Christmas. For this to happen one needs to become a spiritual virgin. A spiritual virgin prepares Time for eternity, living the season of Advent. She gives birth to Eternity. King Herod chose Time for his own continuity, for the continuity of his power, position and family. He was the murderer. The murderer of the innocent present, innocent children. In him the present is chosen for the continuity of the past. Anyone or anything that seeks his or her or its own continuity cannot live the season of Advent, cannot celebrate Christmas, the birth of Eternity. He or she or it becomes a murderer like King Herod.
Christmas is an invitation to everyone (not only Christians) to become spiritual virgins, to live the season of Advent and to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Eternity and to transform each moment of one’s life into Christmas.
Jesus Christ “The works which I do are not mine but the Eternity (the Father) who dwells in me does its works”. Each moment of his life was Christmas. Every moment of his life was fruitful and was the multiplication of divine attributes according to the needs of people. He invites everyone to live the same life which is the vocation of every human being.
The important message of Christmas is that God, or Eternity, is searching for humanity, like the Good Shepherd who searches for the lost sheep. Eternity also expects the cooperation of humanity,, or Time, to return to Eternity as the prodigal son returns to his father. Then the celebration of Christmas begins. Eternity finding humanity (Time) and humanity (Time) finding Eternity. Then the angels appear and sing, “Glory to Eternity on high and peace to the people on the earth”. The child of Eternity glorifies Eternity by being the vehicle of Eternity, It breaks down all divisions and creates one God, one creation and one humanity. It contributes to unity, peace, freedom and universal welfare.
May we all have the heart of the virgin Mary and cooperate with the plan of God and give birth to Eternity.
Happy Advent season and Happy and Joyful Christmas.
Advent 2024