St. Nicholas Day and Second Sunday of Advent

My grandson's first St. Nicholas Day!

Today is St. Nicholas Day, and today starts the second week of advent. Advent is a time of vigilant waiting; I wait for something mysterious and unscheduled, but I wait with quiet excitement, and expectation. If I fall asleep to this awareness I risk missing the moment of joy, courage, or insight; the gift of grace that has the potential to feed me in ways I need.

Agenda Today:
1. Advent Prayer
2. Journal queries

3. Advent wreath ceremony

4. Plan activities for unity and peace

1. Advent Prayer:
   O Saint of love,
   be a guide for us in our lives, we pray,
   that we may create joy for each other,
   as you have done for so many.

   From St. Nikola an der Donau, Austria

2. Journal queries:
At the birth of Jesus, Luke wrote that the angels proclaimed peace on earth and goodwill for all (the non-violent peace of justice, not Caesar's peace by conquest).

How can I work now to create the conditions of peace in my community and world?
How can I become better at feeling and exhibiting goodwill for all?

3. Advent wreath ceremony: 

Tonight (and every night this week) we will light two advent candles, and recite two prayers:

"We light the first candle for the earth, which sustains us. May we cherish and care for it."

"We light the second candle for all the people of the world. May we find unity and peace."

4. Plan activities for unity and peace:
This week my theme is "Striving to find unity and peace with all the people of the world".

That's  a huge goal! Rather than get overwhelmed, though, I plan to do a little something positive each day.

Things I might do this week to create unity and peace:

• be peaceful within myself;
• be in harmony with people I interact with;
• work to learn about and appreciate traditions and beliefs of people throughout the world;
• study an issue that is relevant to human rights in the world at this time;
• challenge myself to work to create the conditions of peace- justice, equality, and freedom- in my family and community.

My life might seem insignificant in the vastness of the universe, but each life is essential to the well being of the whole. I demonstrate my compassion with small acts of kindness and generosity. When I renew this intention each day, the opportunities to show goodwill appear with regularity.