#AdventWord #Persist #堅持

復臨節的季節幾乎快到最高潮時節。它是一段漫長的旅程，尤其對瑪麗亞和約瑟來說。他們親身體驗到堅持的意義，一直堅持直到應許的事物被成就。也許抄捷徑會是誘人的–「我們就在家裡獻祭吧。」但上帝不希望我們抄捷徑。上帝呼召我們，不是要我們選擇容易的道路。上帝要的是一群願意堅持旅途的人民，願意做足準備真實接納基督到我們的心裡和生活裡。

The season of Advent has almost reached its climax. It has been a journey, certainly for Mary and Joseph. They experienced first hand what it meant to persist, to keep going until all that was promised was fulfilled. It might have been tempting to take a shortcut–“Let’s just make an offering or a sacrifice and stay home.” But God does not want shortcuts. God does not call us to take the easy way. What God does require is a people who persist on the journey, who make all the necessary preparations to truly receive the Christ child in our hearts and our lives.

Along the Holy Island seashore when the tide is out, it’s fun to search the rocks and rockpools for fish or whatever marine life can be found.  The tiny shells are barnacles, while the big conical ones are limpets, officially aquatic snails.  Limpets cling tight to the rock crevices when the tide is out, but when covered in water, off they slide to graze on algae.  For us to try to prise them off the rocks at low tide is virtually impossible without damaging them.  They cling tenaciously, stubbornly resisting whatever might try to remove them.  Even the strongest men and women are no match for limpets.  Persistance, indeed, and a challenge to us in our journey of faith.