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Geese in a
Snowstorm.
A Story of Salvation
-- Author Unknown
There was once a man who did not believe in either the virgin birth of
Christ nor the spiritual meaning behind it, and was skeptical even about
God. He and his family lived in a farm community. His wife was a devout
believer and diligently raised her children in the faith. He sometimes gave
her a hard time about her belief and mocked her religious observances.
"It's all nonsense -- why would God lower himself and
become a human like us? It's such a ridiculous story," he said.
One snowy day, she and the children left for church
while he stayed home. After they had departed, the winds grew stronger and
the snow turned into a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the
fire for the evening.
Then he heard a loud thump, something hitting against
the window... And, still another thump. He looked outside but could not see
anything. So he ventured outside for a better view. In the field near his
house he saw, of all the strangest things, a flock of geese. They were
apparently flying to look for a warmer area down south, but they had been
caught in the snowstorm. The storm had become too blinding and violent for
the geese to fly or see their way. They were stranded on his farm, with no
food or shelter, unable to do more than flutter their wings and fly in
aimless circles. He had compassion for them and wanted to help them. He
thought to himself, the barn would be a great place for them to stay. It is
warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So
he opened the barn doors for them.
He waited, watching them, hoping they would notice the
open barn and go inside. Nevertheless, they did not notice the barn or
realize what it could mean for them. He moved closer toward them to get
their attention, but they just moved away from him out of fear.
He went into the house and came back with some bread,
broke it up, and made a bread trail to the barn. They still did not catch
on.
Starting to get frustrated, he went over and tried to
shoo them toward the barn. They panicked and scattered into every direction
except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn
where there was warmth, safety, and shelter. Feeling totally frustrated, he
exclaimed, "Why don't they follow me? Can't they see this is the only place
where they can survive the storm? How can I possibly get them into the one
place to save them?"
He thought for a moment and realized that they just
would not follow a human. He said to himself, "How can I possibly save them?
The only way would be for me to become like those geese. If only I could
become like one of them. Then I could save them. They would follow me and I
would lead them to safety."
At that moment, he stopped and considered what he had
said. The words reverberated in his mind: If only I could become like one of
them, then I could save them. Then, at last, he understood God's heart
towards mankind... and he fell on his knees in the snow.
Memory Awakens
Hope
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
1986
Advent is concerned with that
very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man.
Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory
within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a
healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is
continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s
memory so that it can discern the star of hope.
It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of
us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.
Christ is Reborn
in the Bethlehems of Our Homes
Father Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac, p. 196
Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for
the celebration of Christ’s birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in
the Bethlehems of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still,
be awake to the Divine Mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is
wondrously present.
An old abbot was fond of saying, "The devil is always
the most active on the highest feast days."
The supreme trick of Old Scratch is to have us so busy
decorating, preparing food, practicing music and cleaning in preparation for
the feast of Christmas that we actually miss the coming of Christ. Hurt
feelings, anger, impatience, injured egos—the list of clouds that busyness
creates to blind us to the birth can be long, but it is familiar to us all.
An Advent
Examination
Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac
Advent is the perfect time to clear and prepare the Way. Advent is a winter
training camp for those who desire peace. By reflection and prayer, by
reading and meditation, we can make our hearts a place where a blessing of
peace would desire to abide and where the birth of the Prince of Peace might
take place.
Daily we can make an Advent examination. Are there any
feelings of discrimination toward race, sex, or religion? Is there a
lingering resentment, an unforgiven injury living in our hearts? Do we look
down upon others of lesser social standing or educational achievement? Are
we generous with the gifts that have been given to us, seeing ourselves as
their stewards and not their owners? Are we reverent of others, their ideas
and needs, and of creation? These and other questions become Advent lights
by which we may search the deep, dark corners of our hearts.
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