A Stone from the Mountain

...the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people...

I wanted to comment on today's reading before the day was over, but I found myself running close to midnight--still, I'm managing to sqeeze a post in before the date changes.  I am intrigue by Daniel, who gives us a clear vision of a coming kingdom.  In todays reading we are being invited to prepare ourselves spiritually for the season of Advent.

We are given a marvelous interpretation of the growth and establishment of the kingdom of God, and certainly the message is prophetic in foretelling the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as a stone hewn without hands from the mountian, which in turn becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth.

I find it difficult to express what exactly we experience in the expectation of what is to come.  It is a foreshadowing and a foretaste of something too great, too beautiful, to imagine justly.  The expectation hints at the fullness of what is to be.  It gives us a glimpse of the eternal.

What we are to receive from God is sure in its meaning--indeed it is the everlasting kingdom.  What is our role now?  What is a good Advent attitude?  We must allow God to subdue everything in our lives that does not yet conform to the perfect vision of the kingdom.  All that we cling to and grasp that is partial and conglomerate must come to the stone. We bring ourselves and our values--all that we have in this life, and we lay it before the king in sacrifice.  Once we can begin to let go, we can begin to see what will be.

Comments

[Carol]

Beautiful. Some writings, such as in that first reading, absolutely mystify me now and then. Thank you.. you have clarified much.

[Gabrielle]

I pray we can all have such an experience of Advent this year. Thank you, dd.