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By Lauren Bierer  Christmas lunch is either something you look forward to or something you dread. The food, the company, the conversations, the gift exchange; a lot of it hinges on both the choices you make and the people you are with. Are we gathering out of obligation or with love? How well do we know the people around the table? How could we make time with family and friends more meaningful?
Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering says that ‘a part of the art of gathering is to get people off their scripts and do things that are unexpected’. As we gather for the third Christmas since learning the word ‘COVID’, we must acknowledge that each person’s experience is unique. Trauma, fear, worry, anxiety, depression, loss, illness are all very real and significant in some people’s lives.
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Author: Kathy Horan In the Christian tradition, the season of Advent ushers in a time of anticipation, excitement and hope as we look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ at Christmas.
It is a time for renewing our faith in a God who wishes to come close to us and to pitch a tent of dwelling in our midst. During this liturgical season our Church offers us beautiful and timely reminders of this God who comes close and who desires to dwell among us as family. The prophets proclaim messages of promise, of peace and justice, of longing and seeking for the God of life to reassure us and to remain with us all the days of our lives. Author: Jenny O'Brien In 4th century Rome, the Church year began on Christmas day, the day of Christ’s birth. By the 7th century, however, the Church year began with the First Sunday of Advent, four weeks prior to Christmas.
What is ‘Advent’ all about? Despite popular opinion, it is much more than getting ready to commemorate Christ’s birth and being busy with preparations for present-giving and Christmas dinner! |
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Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
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