Advent. When the season comes around, I find myself homesick for the life of a monastic. Where else would life take on new meaning just because it is Advent? No where but in a monastery. With first Vespers comes added silence, fasting and prayer. And one is reminded again to prepare one's heart for the very real coming of the Divine Being into one's heart and soul.
The monastic liturgy reflects this longing. The chant is haunting, yearning, and solemn. A mainstay for this season is the Rorate Caeli. If you have never heard this chant, I encourage you to listen to it in this Youtube clip.
The spirit of Advent reminds the monastic that this is why she left all she held dear and entered a monastery. In a way, she has entered the desert of John the Baptist, one void of many earthly pleasures such as marriage, family, wealth and fame. She had done so because she wants to better prepare her heart and soul for one Divine. She lives in readiness and expectancy. This is her life. It is what makes her different from other lovers of the Divine.
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