by Joe Bollig
joe.bollig@theleaven.org
ATCHISON — Christians are a people of hope, and it is right to ask, “From where does our hope come?”
That question will be addressed in depth in “The Dawn from on High: An Advent Experience,” a retreat-in-place from Dec. 11-13, with materials through Advent and beyond.
The retreat, which participants do in their own homes, is being offered by the monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison.
In this retreat, the participants will be awakened to the great event proclaimed in the New Testament’s Canticle of Zechariah and carried by Our Lady: “In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:78-79).
On the abbey’s website, the monks say that the question about hope confronts each of us in every aspect of our lives: our relationships, our work, our civic life and life as part of the church.
Advent is the church’s New Year, and it’s an opportunity to ponder this question and rediscover what we are made for and how we can hope.
“The days of Advent are like a quiet knocking at the door of our smothered souls,” wrote Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, “inviting us to undertake the risk of stepping forward toward God’s mysterious presence which alone can make us free.”
The monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey invite Catholics to join them in this free experience by registering online at: Kansasmonks.org/advent2020.
All registered retreatants will receive “A Guide to the Advent Season” in the mail to help them delve deeper into this liturgical season. There will be live conferences during the Advent retreat-in-place, which will be hosted on the monks’ channel at YouTube.com. Click here, then subscribe to receive alerts when it goes live.
