After Thanksgiving, I start to think about Advent and Christmas immediately. I love Advent! Maybe it’s the purple and pink candles (I love colors!) or maybe it’s the anticipation leading up to Christmas, but I have always enjoyed Advent. I am usually ready to take a break from the busy-ness of life, shift gears to a more reflective mode of anticipation and preparation, and simply ponder the joy of the all that comes with the celebration Christ’s birth at Christmas. With this peaceful longing, I sat down to read this Sunday’s readings and prepare my thoughts. At the age of 43, I know that I have heard all of these readings before, many times, and yet they still surprise me. This week, these readings shook me out of my “peaceful preparation” mode and woke me up a bit.
The very full days of our November 17-18 meeting in Chicago were punctuated by a birthday celebration for Sister Darleen and a welcome home call to Sister Bea Baker.
The JPIC Core Committee met at the mother house November 23 – 25, to review previous work, projects in progress, and plans for next steps. During our meeting we were joined by Sister Becky McKenna and we included, by conference call, Sister Eileen McQuaid and Sister Maureen MacIsaac in Bedford. Stay tuned for ways we can all stay informed and involved in activities of peace and justice.