The Journey of Longing

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I have an Icon of the Nativity, the birth of Jesus, in my little chapel at home. Jesus lies in the manger in the cave of Bethlehem in the center of the scene. Yes, it was a cave and not a barn. The baby Jesus is surrounded by an ox and ass, for Isaiah tells us the ox knows its owner and the ass its master's crib. There, too, are Mary and Joseph, the Magi, the shepherds and the Angels. All the usual suspects, oh yes, and the sheep.

Christmas Day is the moment when all these characters see for the first time what they have always longed for, whether they knew it or not – either way after much journeying, they now see with their own eyes the fulfillment of all their desire.

Now take away all the characters and leave the manger empty. Put Mary and Joseph back in Nazareth with Jesus in her womb; place the Magi back in Iran or Iraq – somewhere in Persia probably. Put the shepherds, well, who knows where the shepherds were – put them with the sheep somewhere. And put the Angels back in Heaven.

And what do they all have in common? A longing for God. They wanted God more than anything else and that is what caused them to set out on their journey. That is why Mary said Yes to the Angel at the Annunciation; why St Joseph, married to the most perfect and beautiful women in the history of the world, chose to remain the most chaste spouse of Mary; it’s what caused the Magi to set off from afar to follow a star; and it’s what led the angels to come down from heaven. They wanted God above all and this created a holy longing in them.

Their desire caused them to set out on a journey. We too must set out today toward the cave where Jesus is to be found, but not to Bethlehem. Jesus is to be found in the cave of our soul and we journey by longing for God. That longing is called prayer for prayer is to become a longing for God.

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Do you desire a deeper more intimate friendship with God, the profound comfort and ease you feel with a friend who knows you and loves you better than you do yourself?

To reach this intimacy with God there is no substitute for time spent with Him in prayer – time talking from the heart, listening in meditation and just being with Him in silence and stillness.

This Advent make the choice to spend more time with God in friendship which is prayer.

I want to suggest something to you. Today, the beginning of Advent, set up a bare Nativity scene in a place in your home where you and your family can spend time longing for God – for that is what prayer is – becoming a longing for God.

A good one two punch is to spend time each morning before the Manger, longing for God; then each evening gather and pray the Rosary before the Manger again. 

Commit to a specific amount of time. 30 minutes is the bare minimum for a good conversation because it takes time to get below the surface. Don’t give me excuses. Whenever I ask people how long is need for a good conversation with another person everyone says at least 30 minutes. Wouldn’t the same be true of friendship with God?

Finally, you will need silence. If you can’t find silence – put on your earbuds and a white noise app. Shut off all notifications and external distractions. Take a book with you to the Manger – Scripture or some writing of a Saint. Then apply the three R’s – read, reflect and a resolution.

But most importantly, just sit before the Manger and long for God.

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What do you long for?

I long for many good things in life. A good night sleep at the end of a long day. To awaken refreshed – can’t remember the last time that happened. I long for a hot cup of coffee, a good meal, a nice glass of wine or brandy. The completion of a job well done and the well-earned appreciation that should go with it. The joy of deep friendship with my wife and kids and friends. Good hard physical labor or exercise that fires all the endorphins. An engaging book and a nice fire to sit by with my dog beside me. I desire all these, and they are good. But however good they are these can never be enough – I have the desire for more, infinitely more. I desire to possess God and to be one with Him and share in His life so that it is my life too. I have a restless heart. I can be satisfied with nothing less than God. That is why I pray. I want to possess God. “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” writes Saint Augustine. 

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There is another reason I pray.

It is because my life is good, very good. My life is full of good, even great things. The faint knowledge of the love of God – faint because now we only see dimly as in a mirror says St Paul – amazing parents, amazing wife and kids, wonderful friends, meaningful work, the beauty of the outdoors, hiking in the mountains, music that moves the emotions, books, oh wonderful books and a fire and that dog. Now, here is the key, if these things in this life are that good, then how much better, infinitely, perfectly and everlastingly better will the possession of God in heaven be. If that is the case, and it most surely is, then how much more I long for God.

What do you long for?  

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Psalm 42:1 As a deer longs for running streams, so longs my soul for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, the God of life; when shall I go to see the face of God?