Goodbye Mum, Hello Advent

The End

It’s been almost 3 weeks since my mother died.

There’s a hole in my heart; and in the hearts of all her loved ones, far and near that could never be replaced.

I’m not the first to have said it nor shall I be the last.

It's a universal fact. That’s what mothers are - Irreplaceable.

So here I am, after all the formalities have been completed, and all of us back to our familiar surroundings, sitting in front of my laptop wondering where to begin.

Or more accurately, carry on from where I left off.

New Beginnings

Coincidentally, today also marks the beginning of the Catholic year - with Advent, a season that brings to mind the two comings of Christ.

Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, writer, theologian, and mystic, in his 1963 article "Advent: Hope or Delusion," urges us to reflect on the true essence of Advent and Christmas.

Does Christmas represent real Christian hope or just temporary optimism? We walk a thin line most times.

But Merton cautions against using it to escape from reality and history.

Coming back to reality, in under 4 weeks, the New Year will be here before we know it.

The old year as I know it is slipping away, even as I await the new.

But what am I waiting for?

That would probably depend on a couple of things at least:

1. My circumstances, and

2. My plans and hopes.

I would add a third, something a Taize retreat master repeatedly emphasized on us some twenty years ago:

• What is the deepest desire of your heart?

There are plenty of things that dictate our lives.

But not everything is important.

Some will be trivial upon reflection. Others may be straightforwardly spot on.

The good news is that there are still 4 weeks left of the year that is passing away.

If we could spend some of that time actively waiting, contemplating our deepest desires, the new year would be an exciting prospect, regardless of what it brings.

In Loving Memory

For Amma and all our dearly departed loved ones: 

Your Song, My Song, Everyone’s Song

A beautifully haunting song that can be dedicated to almost anyone.

It was Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s masterpiece, yielding Elton his first international Top 10 hit in 1970.

This one is for you, ma.

And all of us too.

Till next time,

Jude

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