12.08.2025 | Second Monday in Advent

​Peace in the Stillness
 
The weekend warmth melted the last of November’s snow, leaving only scattered leaves upon the damp ground. In this second week of Advent, we light two candles as we prepare the way of the Lord. The Gospel of Matthew tells of John the Baptist, blazing a trail for the One who is to come. We, too, wait and long for the light’s return.
 
The little Doodle girl and I wandered out on this brisk, cloudy morning. The beauty of the fallen leaves reminds us to cherish the present moment. Life is always moving, always changing, and it is our calling to make the very most of the gifts we are given.
 
Advent invites us into stillness. A pause from the busy-ness, a chance to listen. In the daily noise of this chaotic season, we yearn for quiet contemplation, for that wee, small voice breaking through the gloom of late autumn.
 
Walking in the early morning darkness, I breathe deeply. A cold breeze brushes my face, and I remember the words: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” (John 14:27).
 
Peace.
 
Candles flicker, leaves may fall, but love endures.