Waiting

It is Christmas Eve. It's 10.05pm, and it's 26 degrees celcius, with about 70% humidity. It's supposed to rain tomorrow and I am desperate for it to start.... there's the remains of a tropical cyclone bearing down on us and it's been overcast, sticky, and hot for about a week now. Small daughter keeps getting up moaning that she can't sleep (which seriously I can't blame her for - it's very hot and it's also Christmas Eve so she's seriously over-excited).... so certain things will need to be delayed!

But here we are. It is Christmas Eve. The Christ-child is nearly here. Heaven touches earth tonight on this beata nox, this blessed night. The Great O Antiphons are finished with Advent, and now.... now, we begin to hear the echo of the angels' song. I truly truly pray that it is peace on earth, but as my friend Sr Susan commented, 'we in turn are called to be peace. We all seem to see a bit more clearly these days how much our world is in need of peace. In our families, schools,  church, society, and of course between nations. As the saying goes, peace is not merely the absence of conflict. It is so much more ... an active compassionate love, a mindful intentional presence, a positive and constructive way of being that seeks the common good.'