Author: Catherine Lee

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Advent Word 2023 ‘Awake’ 警醒

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Awake #警醒 ‘And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’ Mark 13:37 ‘The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids (Matthew 25: 1-13) emphasizes the importance of staying spiritually vigilant. In the parable, all the bridesmaids fall asleep; but at midnight, when the bridegroom comes, only the wise bridesmaids are prepared to receive him with oil in their lamps. On the night of December 24, Jesus arrives. Although our traditions may include preparations such as food and gifts, I do not think God is really interested in the best meal or the perfect gift. The oil that … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Awake’ 警醒

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Advent Word 2023 ‘Watch’ 守望

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Watch #守望 ‘It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home… commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.’ Mark 13:34 ‘Few experiences rival the attentiveness that comes when my children welcome me or their father home after time away. They ask when the plane will land, when the car will arrive, and when the train will pull into the station. They look out the window and ask excitedly with every approaching headlight, “Is it yet?! Is this it?!” This Advent we, like the disciples and generation after generation of believers, echo their childlike eagerness … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Watch’ 守望

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Advent Word 2023 ‘Grace’ 感恩

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Grace #感恩 ‘I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus.’ 1 Corinthians 1:4 ‘When my father says grace before a meal, the beginning of his prayer often varies–giving thanks for family and guests, celebrating special moments. But each time his prayers conclude: “Bless this food and the hands that prepared it. May it strengthen us to go and do your work here on this earth.” Grace reminds us that our gifts don’t belong to us alone; everything we have is lovingly made and generously … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Grace’ 感恩

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Advent Word 2023 ‘Peace’ 平安

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Peace #平安 ‘Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’ ‘Peace is my favorite greeting. I love that I can share it verbally and non-verbally with a peace sign. My favorite way to think about peace during Advent is one of the definitions of shalom – completeness. Imagine that every time we speak peace to someone we are praying for them to be complete. And as we pray for them, we pray for our own wholeness. Often we think of peace as the absence of something – war, confusion, noise. What if we … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Peace’ 平安

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Advent Word 2023 ‘Presence’ 臨在

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Presence #臨在 ‘In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up your strength and come to help us.’ Psalm 80:2 Have you ever felt the presence of God? A friend of mine once described how she felt the first time she attended our parish, with words I never forgot: “I felt wrapped in the arms of Jesus.” That is a feeling that we Christians should strive for all the time, but I believe it is easier to feel that presence when we are thinking about God, talking about God, and serving God. Maybe this is what Jesus had … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Presence’ 臨在

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Advent Word 2023 ‘Hidden’ 隱藏

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Hidden #隱藏 ‘for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.’ Isaiah 64:7 ‘Lest we think December is all Hallmark movies, hot cocoa, and joyful carols, Isaiah is here to remind us that Advent is also a time of searching and yearning. We empathize with the author’s plea for God to come from the heavens in a show of power and strength to overthrow the unjust rulers of this world, trample down the things that separate us from one another, and let God’s dazzling face shine upon us. And yet, … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Hidden’ 隱藏

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Advent Word 2023, Advent Sunday, ‘Wind’ 風

Catherine Lee

#AdventWord #Wind #風 ‘We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.’ Isaiah 64:6 ‘How do you look at the wind? On a windy day in summer, you might see green leaves waving on full branches; in early winter you might see yellow and brown leaves tossed about on the street. The only way to see the wind is to watch what it moves. When Isaiah looks at the wind in today’s reading, he sees judgment—a gale that blows his people far from home. But the wind, in scripture, can also be seen blowing … Continue reading Advent Word 2023, Advent Sunday, ‘Wind’ 風