Advent of Joy
An Invitation to Climb the Mountain of the Lord
Dear Readers,
I’ve been using the symbolism of the candles to help us capture hope, and follow faith and find peace this Advent. Now, our virtual journey to Jesus has entered the third week, and a pink candle symbolizing joy has been lit. I invite you to a climb.
The Advent journey is an invitation to climb the mountain of the Lord. The journey consists of a slow, gradual ascending up the mountain path. As with all uphill climbing, there are certain dangers along the way, but also the joyful expectation of one day reaching the mountaintop that is the house of the Lord. - Brother Victor Antoine D’Avila-Latourrette
Climbing the Mountain of the Lord shows us how our own lives parallel the ways Jesus arrives into our world. Jesus arrives in four different ways, at least:
Jesus is born as a helpless baby in Jerusalem.
Jesus arrives in the heart of believers.
Jesus at his death on the cross.
Jesus on Judgment Day.
The first two, celebrating the arrival of a new born baby, birthdays, baptisms, and the conquest of challenges and mid-life passages through faith, clearly are joyful events. Like the mountain when we begin a climb, new births and new beginnings are full of promise. When the ascent gets tougher, doubts or life wearies us, Jesus in our hearts is like living water, sustaining, refreshing, and uplifting us. We climb on rejuvenated, rejoicing. But who wants to think of death or Judgment Day during Advent? Here’s why I do and why it too brings joy.