Embracing Divine Love in the Advent Season
Discover the profound spiritual journey of Advent, embracing divine love and Christ Consciousness in our daily lives.
Table of Contents
The Significance of Advent in Spiritual Awakening
Contemplation and Divine Love During Advent
Embracing the Present: The Heart of Advent
The Metaphorical Journey of Spiritual Awakening
MEDIA: A Meditator’s Guide to Advent, pt.2 — Where Divine Love Enters
Advent Stories: Following Divine Will
Awakening to the Sacred: The Power of Mindfulness
The Advent season beckons us into a profound journey of spiritual awakening, where divine love and Christ Consciousness illuminate our paths.
The Significance of Advent in Spiritual Awakening
The season of Advent calls for a deep reflection on the divine love that permeates our existence. It's a period marked by an inward contemplative pull, urging us to kindle light amidst the encroaching darkness. This is a time to pause, slow down, reflect, and embrace healing—a call to acknowledge the profound metaphysical significance of this period.
Contemplation and Divine Love During Advent
The celebration of Advent is more than a count-down to Christmas; it's an invitation to embark on an inward journey of spiritual awakening. It's an opportunity to connect with the Christ Consciousness that beckons from within, to uncover the deep-rooted peace that resides in the present eternal moment.
A classic letter from Fra Giovanni, penned in 1513, resonates deeply during this season, echoing the timeless wisdom of mindfulness and inner peace. It highlights that true peace and joy are not hidden in some distant future but are present in the small instants of today. The gloom of the world is merely a shadow behind which joy and radiance await those who choose to look with the heart.
"No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in today."
—Fra Giovanni Giocondo,
from a letter he wrote to Countess Allagia Aldobrandeschi on Christmas Eve, 1513.
Embracing the Present: The Heart of Advent
The principal theme of Advent, characterized by a period of waiting, is often misconstrued as a passive act. However, it is, in essence, an active engagement with the process of spiritual maturation. Waiting becomes a contemplative practice when one lets go of the anticipation for something specific and arrives fully in the moment.
This approach to waiting is not about biding time for the next event but is a profound acknowledgment of the continual arrival of God's omnipresence and the power of love that is always here and now. Divine love reveals itself to those who learn to wait with intention, to watch with the eyes of the soul, and to see beyond superficial fears and desires.
The Metaphorical Journey of Spiritual Awakening
A significant paradox of spiritual awakening is that it is often spoken of, and represented as, a journey. We rightfully ask: Why a journey? Why must we journey to arrive at a destination we never left to discover that which was always so? Yet journey is indeed a fitting description. While there is no physical journey required, a journey must be made in consciousness—from the darkness of ignorance to the light of truth. We journey to a higher state of conscious awareness, from being erroneously identified with the changing body and mind to realizing our true nature as eternal, unchanging Spirit. This journey is universal and is the trajectory of everyone’s life. We are all on this journey, whether we recognize it or not. It is the certain destiny of every person to realize the truth of existence. Because our lives are inseparable from the life of God, what we truly are will be revealed. What is true does not remain hidden.
The Christmas story tells us that Mary and Joseph are required to journey to the city of Bethlehem during the tax season to pay their taxes. It seems that the reason for the journey is a mundane one. This brings to mind John Lennon’s observation: Life is what happens while we are busy making other plans. We engage in outer responsibilities, yet within us, in the sanctuary of our soul, the inner journey is unfolding on its own terms. This is significant for us to recognize. Always, regardless of what is occurring outwardly, the inner journey of Self- and God-realization is progressing. When we recognize this, we can stay attuned to divine guidance. The outer and inner journeys become one.
A Meditator’s Guide to Advent, pt.2: Where Divine Love Enters
The power of love is greater than all of our imperfections. It will prevail over all our difficulties and crown our vulnerabilities.
Advent Stories: Following Divine Will
The story of Advent is filled with figures who, when faced with life's uncharted territories, found within themselves the willingness to follow a divine path. Their narratives may differ, but they all share a common thread: the transformative peace found in surrendering to a higher will.
As the story goes, Mary's response to the angel Gabriel's message encapsulates the serenity that accompanies surrender to divine guidance. It is in letting go of the illusion of separation from the Source that one finds true security and well-being. The word of God, the creative power of the Spirit, is already at work in our lives, assuring that, even in the darkest times, all is indeed well.
In contemporary times, this message holds a potent reminder that the presence of divine love and grace is often right before our eyes, though it may be obscured by the pursuit of something else. It's about recognizing and honoring the sacred in the everyday, watching how the mind naturally assigns importance and sanctity to aspects of life.
Awakening to the Sacred: The Power of Mindfulness
The birth of the Universal Christ Consciousness is an eternal truth, transcending time and history. It represents the unchanging divine essence that is ever-present, much like the continuous waves of an ever-present ocean.
Advent is not merely a countdown to a festive celebration but an opportunity to experience a profound inner awakening to Christ Consciousness. It invites everyone to look beyond the surface, to embrace the present moment, and to witness the transformative power of divine love entering their lives.
The mind, when open, grants access to strength, wisdom, love, compassion, and grace. Closed by judgments and distractions, it can block our path to divine love. By focusing on what truly matters and recognizing the sacred in every aspect of life, we align ourselves with the deeper truths of existence.
Practice:
Whatever you are doing today, recognize that the true “journey” you take is a spiritual one. Remember that we live, move, and have our being in divine Reality. Therefore, wherever you go and whatever you do is in, and with divine support. Remember that the deeper purpose is Self-realization. Let that awareness infuse all that you do.
Use a prayer phrase to capture your attention, such as: “I am working in Spirit.” “I am serving in God.” “I am walking in Truth.” “I am resting in Spirit.”
Contemplate:
Rise up nimbly and go on your strange journey to the ocean of meanings.
The stream knows it can't stay on the mountain. –Rumi
And so it was that while they were there,
the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. –Luke 2:6
Reflect:
How can I bring more awareness to the inner journey as I move through the activity of my days?
Path of Wonder: A Meditator's Guide to Advent
Intentional, spiritual contemplation during Advent offers a remedy for the holidays’ overly materialistic focus that can leave us feeling empty in more ways than one. Instead, it gives us a soul-nourishing way to open our hearts and minds to the healing light within.
This daily guide for contemplation will support mindful awareness each day of Advent. The inspirational readings, scriptures, practices, and questions for reflection serve as an asana—a steady seat for that day.
May this season welcome the light that dispels the darkness of ignorance, the light that brings peace to all the world.
Related Content
Stay Connected
Enter your email below to receive Illumination – inspirations, insights, and more from Yogacharya O’Brian to support you on your path of awakened living!
Questions? Comments?
We'd love to hear from you! Contact Us.
© 2023 Ellen Grace O’Brian