Sitting in a beautiful church, I was simply waiting for Someone… In this wait, I noticed the stained glass windows, surrounding me, their colors clothing me in a multi-colored blanket. As I looked, the images given life by the SUN, were formed into the Beatitudes, the eight blessings Jesus began His most well known Sermon on the Mount. What a beautiful blanket of color to be clothed in, but totally dependent on the SUN. Just sitting, waiting, caused waters of spirit baptism to be stirred within. Hope.

When we let the SON shine in and through us, we become living, human stained glass windows, reflecting BLESSING, beatitude. Every act of humility, mercy, compassion, sincerity, and witness to Christ frees the rays of the SON to shine through our humanity onto the larger humanity. The Beatitudes must be lived through a choice, since they usually don’t happen naturally, unless your a living saint. We have to make the choice to live these gospel blessings by renouncing pride, privilege, material wealth, inner violence, arrogance and abuse of power.

My wait in the church was complete…I found the Someone, God, in this reflection. How many colorful, beautiful, living stained glass of humanity surfaced in my memory: of parishioner, friend, volunteer, and stranger. These people of brilliant color have brought to me by the SON, Who only wants me to learn from them and be inspired by them.

My advent wait, at the end of August, was well worth it.

Peace and Joy. Fr. Frank