Today on the 4th Sunday of Advent, Fr Kaswalder preached a nice sermon. He noted that all the important events of the birth of the Messiah took place on the margins/outskirts of cities. Bethlehem was a town outside of Jerusalem, the center. Ein Kerem, the birth place of John the Baptist is out in the mountains. God works in our lives from the margins, the outskirts of life.
During Mass I was mesmerised by the 4 Advent candles burning. Sometimes after Vespers/Mass, I go to blow them out and sing "Happy birthday" and some of the friars passing by give me strange looks. Well it got me thinking today - is that why we have candles on birthday cakes and blow them out; just like we blow out the 4 candles on the birthday of Jesus? But blowing out candles is not a good sign - it's a symbol of extinguishing light, gathering darkness, death. So why do we celebrate birthdays by blowing out candles? we celebrate death? the end? extinction? If it symbolises the completion of years, then we should allow the candles to burn itself out rather than blow it out. Anyway I don't know. Maybe you have some thoughts on this.
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