Okay, week three of Advent - the time of year when all the priests man up and wear pink!
So, the spot in the garage is clean and empty, I'm making sure it stays that way, the sale is advertised, it's Wednesday, and Canadian Tire opens Thursday at nine. I have to work, so I can't go until lunch. I'm excited to finally fill this space in the garage with the most manly of toys... er, I mean tools, it's almost here... I can smell the oil of the compressor pump, and hear it roar when I plug it. The sale is almost here. I feel like... well like a kid on Christmas morning, who knows he's getting a Nintendo (Christmas, 1989). That's the joy of Advent... Christmas is almost here, and we are about to celebrate the greatest gift, the amazing moment, and the incredible sacrifices. Even if we aren't believers, we are celebrating love, which is the greatest thing we have, and most of us take the time to show it through charity, which is so much an expression of love the two are practically synonyms. The joy of waiting is so awesome it makes you wanna dance around like you have to pee.
That feeling is Gaudete Sunday.
*NB - the brevity of today's post is in response to my friend Aibert, who as far as I know may be the only reader, and mentioned that he wished there was a summary of my posts so he had time to read them. Here ya go Aib! Thanks for the feedback.
Thoughts on matters of faith, education, and whatever else sparks my interest.
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Advent week 2
Alright, so last week I committed myself to an awkward (embrace the awkward!) comparison of advent to the purchase of the manliest of garage tools, an air compressor. So, here we are, week 2, and it's time to continue milking this one for all it's worth.
Last week I wrote about needing to do a little purge of the junk in the garage to make room for the compressor, and compared it to purging our conscience through reconciliation at the beginning of advent (I'm not gonna lie, I kept the pickaxe... WHO WOULDN'T!). Now I have this beautiful space in my workshop, ready for the compressor to come in and fill it. Here's the problem, empty space gets filled fast. I'll give you an example. I cleaned off the workbench to be able to tune some skis. It was so nice and clean, and empty. Within 20 minutes, I swear it was messier than before. Tools, clothes, food, an old sink I found in the alley, some empty brass from my rifle... you name it, it was on the bench, cluttering my formerly, and gloriously clean space.
I can't speak for everyone, but that is kind of a theme for my life, space is never left empty. Free time? New hobby. Clean shelf? New toy. Clean space in the garage? New clutter! I think it's common enough that we fill our empty space.
This is a bit of a problem, but an even bigger opportunity after receiving the sacrament of reconciliation. After we purge all the garbage from our hearts, we have an empty space. The challenge is that there is no shortage of stuff that we can fill it with. The opportunity is that we can fill it with something awesome. It's not good enough to just clear that space out, we need to make sure it stays that way, as best we can. We need to fill the space with something that will hold it open for us, to allow God's grace to fully occupy it, and prevent the clutter of sin. I know for me, that thing is prayer. Advent is a time for increased prayer, to invite God into our lives. It's something I'm admittedly bad at doing regularly. My relationship with prayer is a lot like my relationship with the gym. I want to go, I want the benefits, I have good intentions, I feel good when I do it, but for some reason I don't make it as often as I should. Advent has a nice reminder built in though. The advent wreath is a daily reminder of the season, and a call to fill that empty space with prayer, in preparation for the celebration of Christmas.
So, what are you filling your nice, clean, empty space with?
Last week I wrote about needing to do a little purge of the junk in the garage to make room for the compressor, and compared it to purging our conscience through reconciliation at the beginning of advent (I'm not gonna lie, I kept the pickaxe... WHO WOULDN'T!). Now I have this beautiful space in my workshop, ready for the compressor to come in and fill it. Here's the problem, empty space gets filled fast. I'll give you an example. I cleaned off the workbench to be able to tune some skis. It was so nice and clean, and empty. Within 20 minutes, I swear it was messier than before. Tools, clothes, food, an old sink I found in the alley, some empty brass from my rifle... you name it, it was on the bench, cluttering my formerly, and gloriously clean space.
I can't speak for everyone, but that is kind of a theme for my life, space is never left empty. Free time? New hobby. Clean shelf? New toy. Clean space in the garage? New clutter! I think it's common enough that we fill our empty space.
This is a bit of a problem, but an even bigger opportunity after receiving the sacrament of reconciliation. After we purge all the garbage from our hearts, we have an empty space. The challenge is that there is no shortage of stuff that we can fill it with. The opportunity is that we can fill it with something awesome. It's not good enough to just clear that space out, we need to make sure it stays that way, as best we can. We need to fill the space with something that will hold it open for us, to allow God's grace to fully occupy it, and prevent the clutter of sin. I know for me, that thing is prayer. Advent is a time for increased prayer, to invite God into our lives. It's something I'm admittedly bad at doing regularly. My relationship with prayer is a lot like my relationship with the gym. I want to go, I want the benefits, I have good intentions, I feel good when I do it, but for some reason I don't make it as often as I should. Advent has a nice reminder built in though. The advent wreath is a daily reminder of the season, and a call to fill that empty space with prayer, in preparation for the celebration of Christmas.
So, what are you filling your nice, clean, empty space with?
Monday, 2 December 2013
The advent compressor
Okay, it seems kind of wrong to have a Catholic blog, and not have some advent postings. The trouble is, what else does someone say? Colm has a good one up:
http://projectym.com/blog/dinosaurs-tinkerbell-jesus/
Swords of truth has a Homily on the First week of advent:
http://swordsoftruth.com/2013/11/30/joy-in-everyday-apocalypses-homily-by-fr-nathan/
Let's face it, most blogs will cover it, and it's hard to say things that aren't already said. I mean, Advent, get ready for Christmas, go to confession, prepare your heart, be charitable... check, check, check, and check.
So, in that light, I am making what has to be one of the most contrived literary stretches in modern history: How advent is like buying an air compressor.
I recently bought an air compressor. I don't know why, it was on sale and I got a great deal... there is something about an air compressor that makes every guy with a garage want one, maybe it's the tools that make that cool sound, maybe it's goofing around with it, maybe it's the satisfaction of using it to blow the dust off the work bench, maybe it's feeling like a badass with a nail gun. Who knows.
Now, in this analogy, the arrival of the compressor will represent the coming of Christ. No seriously, stop laughing. See the thing is, I have no room in the garage for one (it's an 8 gallon puppy, so it takes up some space). Between motorcycle jacks (I don't have a motorcycle anymore), old boat hulls, a bag of almost kind of dirt you can imagine (they make a lot of kinds of dirt) flower pots, a sink I found in the alley, and a lot of other strange and wonderful things, there just isn't room.
Our lives are like that, we pick up 'junk' (I swear honey, it's not junk, I use that stuff all the time!), and fill the empty spaces in our lives with it. If we don't prepare for an important arrival, there isn't a place for it to fit. So for the first week of advent, it's time to 'purge' the garage. In getting ready to buy the compressor (okay, so I got it and it was living in the back of the car), I had to do some purging. It involved going through all the 'junk', and finding the things I didn't use, didn't need, had too much of, or were plain old garbage. It's an amazingly refreshing experience sorting through old stuff, and purging the crap. It really does feel great. I get to look at old hardware store purchases and leftover packaging, feel embarrassed that I spent money on something totally unnecessary (At the time the pickaxe seemed really useful), then get rid of it either by throwing away/recycling the garbage, or passing it on to someone who can actually use it.
For the first week of advent we need to do a personal purge. I'm stoked that our diocese is offering reconciliation every Wednesday for advent. An examination of conscience and good confession, as tough as they are, are so refreshing and liberating... they make new room within us to fill with more important things.
There you go, week one nicely wrapped up. Stay tuned for week 2, and dealing with the empty space!
http://projectym.com/blog/dinosaurs-tinkerbell-jesus/
Swords of truth has a Homily on the First week of advent:
http://swordsoftruth.com/2013/11/30/joy-in-everyday-apocalypses-homily-by-fr-nathan/
Let's face it, most blogs will cover it, and it's hard to say things that aren't already said. I mean, Advent, get ready for Christmas, go to confession, prepare your heart, be charitable... check, check, check, and check.
So, in that light, I am making what has to be one of the most contrived literary stretches in modern history: How advent is like buying an air compressor.
I recently bought an air compressor. I don't know why, it was on sale and I got a great deal... there is something about an air compressor that makes every guy with a garage want one, maybe it's the tools that make that cool sound, maybe it's goofing around with it, maybe it's the satisfaction of using it to blow the dust off the work bench, maybe it's feeling like a badass with a nail gun. Who knows.
Now, in this analogy, the arrival of the compressor will represent the coming of Christ. No seriously, stop laughing. See the thing is, I have no room in the garage for one (it's an 8 gallon puppy, so it takes up some space). Between motorcycle jacks (I don't have a motorcycle anymore), old boat hulls, a bag of almost kind of dirt you can imagine (they make a lot of kinds of dirt) flower pots, a sink I found in the alley, and a lot of other strange and wonderful things, there just isn't room.
Our lives are like that, we pick up 'junk' (I swear honey, it's not junk, I use that stuff all the time!), and fill the empty spaces in our lives with it. If we don't prepare for an important arrival, there isn't a place for it to fit. So for the first week of advent, it's time to 'purge' the garage. In getting ready to buy the compressor (okay, so I got it and it was living in the back of the car), I had to do some purging. It involved going through all the 'junk', and finding the things I didn't use, didn't need, had too much of, or were plain old garbage. It's an amazingly refreshing experience sorting through old stuff, and purging the crap. It really does feel great. I get to look at old hardware store purchases and leftover packaging, feel embarrassed that I spent money on something totally unnecessary (At the time the pickaxe seemed really useful), then get rid of it either by throwing away/recycling the garbage, or passing it on to someone who can actually use it.
For the first week of advent we need to do a personal purge. I'm stoked that our diocese is offering reconciliation every Wednesday for advent. An examination of conscience and good confession, as tough as they are, are so refreshing and liberating... they make new room within us to fill with more important things.
There you go, week one nicely wrapped up. Stay tuned for week 2, and dealing with the empty space!
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