Going Home Another Way
Week 4 – Home Another Way
Three Magi on the Way to Bethlehem, by Hans Thoma
The Ongoing Work of God
“It is not simply the birth of the Child that the season celebrates; it is the awareness of the ongoing work of God within Him, the foundation of our own hope for liberation that marks our lives and lifts our hearts.”1
The remaining Christmas season includes several feast days that can be good opportunities to wrap-up and reflect on your Advent journey this year.
- The Holy Family (December 31, 2023)
- Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (January 1, 2024)
- Epiphany (January 7, 2024)
- Baptism of the Lord (January 8, 2024)
For Reflection
As Advent concludes and you return to your normal rhythms and routines after the Christmas celebrations, do you want to “go home another way” this year? Is there something you’ve learned about yourself during Advent that you wish to explore further? Have you perhaps been prompted by God to do a different type of prayer, reconcile with someone, or be of service in some new way? Maybe this is an invitation to incorporate this change into your daily life.
Or perhaps you’ve experimented with a different way of approaching Advent and celebrating Christmas, and discovered that just because you’ve always done things in one way doesn’t mean this is still the best way. What gives you comfort and joy may have changed, and you may be ready to establish new traditions.
What are your hopes for liberation in this upcoming new year?
Footnotes
- Joan Chittister, The Liturgical Year, 86. ↩︎
Falling Up After 50 
As always, you have me thinking about things that have never crossed my mind before. I don’t know exactly what, if any changes, I will make, but I’m very intrigued by “finding a new way home.” Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your wisdom with us, this Advent season.
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