Vigilance, Fasting and Unexpected Graces

Keeping watch and waiting for the Lord is part of the mystery of Advent Prayer. If we keep faithful to the discipline of this Advent, a grace that we do not expect will seize us and we will find ourselves plunged into the most beautiful paradoxes: With Divine Power, the Word is coming in a new way, and we cannot presume we will recognize Him. Just as fasting from physical food keeps us spiritually hungry for the Bread of Life, and Interrupting our sleep for prayer helps our hearts find rest in the Prince of Peace, and Pondering His teaching with our hearts humbles our intellect and baptizes our imagination in glory: So too setting aside our daily routine for the sake of our neighbor aids us in our quest For the One who has set aside everything for us.