Advent And Christmas With Thomas Merton

Reflections for each day of Advent and the Christmas season begin with a scriptural quotation and continue with a thought from the writings of Thomas Merton on a timely theme: the Incarnation, anticipation, angels, and many more. An appendix includes a suggested plan for using each days meditation as part of a morning or evening prayer. Paperback

n this accessible introduction to the writings of Thomas Merton, small-group participants are led on a path of spiritual growth from the first week of Advent through Christmas. Each of the book¿s five sessions focuses on a distinct theme: hope, salvation, compassion, tenderness, or incarnation. The structure of each session includes prayers, a brief thematic introduction, probing dialogue questions, and a reading from Merton paired with a reading from one of five other spiritual masters, including Gerard Thomas Straub, Anne D. LeClaire, Olivier Clément, Michael Casey, and Christopher Bamford. This contemplative approach provides a welcoming haven during the midst of a hectic season for existing small groups or for those looking for deeply rewarding reflection on the meaning of Advent and Christmas.

Providing a break from the commercialization frenzy of the season, these daily Advent readings invite readers to examine the deepest meaning of Christmas.

This little book takes a unique approach relying on inspiration from a different source, six classics of spiritual literature--three modern, three many centuries old . . . There are enough meditations here to cover the longest possible Advent . . . Follow the quotations, the meditation, and/or the little prayer for each day wherever they may lead you.

Usually when we think of the Advent story, Mary, Joseph, and the angel Gabriel come to mind. Okoro approaches Advent a little differently, inviting us to sit for a while with Zechariah and Elizabeth and the story of how they came to bear their only son, John. "The Advent story we so often associate with the joy of Christmas actually begins with deep sorrow and longing. But thankfully, in the kingdom of God, there is always more to the story than meets the eye," Enuma Okoro writes. Zechariah and Elizabeth were good people. They had maintained faith and hope in God for many years, despite Elizabeth's inability to conceive, a condition considered shameful in their time. So they were quite familiar with the universal human experiences of longing and waiting. Even though this couple's story takes up only one chapter in Luke's Gospel, it contains enough lessons about faith and life to last for weeks. In her beautifully written, imaginative meditations for each day of Advent, Okoro looks closely at the doubts and longings of Zechariah and Elizabeth. As you explore their story, Okoro guides you to reflect on your own experiences of waiting and longing, of grief and the need for community, and of hungering for God. These poetic and poignant meditations will linger with you long after Christmas. Reflection questions and a prayer challenge accompany each week's meditations. A perfect book for individual or group study.

This book is to consider some of the special ques-tions and problems which surround the Bible itself--a book for which all blurbs are impossible.