Welcome to the 2020 St. Augustine's Online Advent Calendar!
Each day, a member of our parish will share a short reflection on Advent along with a lovely image and piece of music to enrich your day. May our journey through Advent together build up and strengthen you as we anticipate the coming of our Lord!
DECEMBER 6TH - SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT
“Praise the Lord.” Psalm 148:1,14
“Praise the Lord.” Psalm 149:1,9
“Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord. Alleluia.” Psalm 150:6
This year, the second Sunday
of Advent falls on December 6th, traditionally St. Nicholas Day.
This day honours St. Nicholas, 4th century Bishop of Myra, faithful
follower of Jesus, generous giver of gifts, and patron saint of children.
For the last 30 years, in honour of St. Nicholas Day, we have worked
with the Confirmation class to decorate cookies and assemble trays of treats
for people in our congregation who have had a rough year. (How many dear ones
would that be THIS year?) We have marveled at the young people’s creativity –
and occasionally messiness – in decorating. Each year, we have studied St.
Nicholas’ extraordinary life, and we have laughed and chatted and prayed and
worshipped together.
This year, of course, no-one
can meet together for such an activity.
The three psalms for today (148,
149, 150) begin and end with “Praise the Lord”.The Hebrew for this phrase is “Hallelu Jah.” This expression of praise
to the Creator God of Israel (often written “Hallelujah” or “Alleluia”) is the
greatest exhortation to worship found in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Should we just belt out “Alleluia”
by ourselves in this strange time of isolation?
Can we? If you are living alone, not allowed to visit
family or friends, do you have the heart to sing out “Alleluia”? Last Sunday,
in the livestream service, there were 7 “Alleluias” in the final hymn. Can we sing them together, apart? The Psalms
tell us “Yes”! Just do it! In Psalm 148, “Young men and women, old people and
children” are told to praise, as well as “the shining stars, the storm and
clouds, and the mountains!” Step outside and shout it out! All creation is to sing
“Alleluia”, because our generous, loving Creator has sent his Son to save us,
to bring us to life, to lead us out of darkness into light, and because He will
transform us and all creation when He comes again.
We had the privilege of
participating in Benjamin Britten’s cantata St.
Nicholas a number of years ago at St. Augustine’s. Our favourite part was
the moment when three murdered boys, miraculously brought to life when St.
Nicholas prays, begin singing “Alleluia” (about the 3:50 mark of the video below). They are joined by their mothers, and
then by the whole community singing praise to God. It is a foreshadowing of the
new creation and the resurrection of the dead; it is a picture of all of us
being brought to radiant life by the Saviour.
We can feel lonely now, in
2020, singing our singular “Alleluias”. But we do so with the knowledge that there
is a wonderful reunion in store – both when we sing “Alleluia” together in
church, and ultimately on that day when we sing “Alleluia” in the fullness of Jesus’
presence.
