Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Happy Advent one and all! I look forward to this blessed season every year, but it seems to come around faster and faster! I think my favorite aspect of Advent are the Scripture readings the liturgy offers us, along with the invitation to enter into them more deeply.
This week we are asked to reflect on the Lord’s second coming at the end of time, or as we pray at Mass: “Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of you mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
You might be wondering about the cover of today’s bulletin. I real-ize that it doesn’t look very “Adventy” but there is a story behind it. The photo is of the interior of the Moritzkirche in Augsburg, Germany, which I visited back in December 2013. From the outside it looks like any other Bavarian church. But the interior will stop you dead in your tracks. As you can see in the photo, the walls are completely white and the windows are translucent white as well. The only color comes from the dark wood of the pews.
It is an arresting experience to walk around the church, or to sit quietly in the pews.
The origins of the Moritzkirche can be traced back to the 11th century. By the 1700’s it was a typical Baroque-style Bavarian church, but all that changed on the night of February 25, 1944 when bombing raids left only the walls standing. It was eventually rebuilt after the war, and underwent several more renovations until the most recent one in 2013.
In a book about the designer of the renovation, John Pawson, we are told that “Pawson first became aware of the church via a letter sent to him by St Moritz parishioners in 2007. The letter described how the congregation had been exploring the possibilities of worshiping in a simpler, sparer space and had reached the point where they were ready to pursue a more radical and permanent architectural solution.” Pawson, a British architectural designer, is known for his minimalist aesthetic.
I felt myself being drawn by the lightness of the space, in a way that left feeling almost weightless. It seemed to me that there was nothing standing between me and presence of Jesus, exemplified by the distant wood carved statue of him beckoning me forward. The figure of Christ, dating from the 17th century by the German sculptor Georg Petel, had been lying neglected, in a room in the church’s tower.
Although today’s Gospel speaks about the suddenness of Jesus’ return, my spirituality tends to focus more on his gentle accompaniment in my daily life, offering encouragement and a friendly poke now and then to keep me moving and on the right track. In other words, Advent for me isn’t just a season; it’s a daily reality.
Blessings on your week ahead!
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.
Pastor
