Daily Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8

In the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'”

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:1-8, NRSV

Last May I traveled to Germany with my younger sister Jo Ann. One of the main purposes of our 8 days of traveling together, was to visit my mother’s hometown of Zirndorf (near Nuremberg in Bavaria) where she was born and lived for 24 years before moving to Boston Massachusetts USA, and then marrying my father soon after.

While riding the bus into the city, I could imagine my mother walking to and from her work and risking her life to get home to her little daughter, only 2 years old. This was during wartime Germany 1943 with sirens and bombings everywhere. Moving forward 80 years to 2023, Zirndorf is a beautiful town with gardens and parks, lovely shops and quaint restaurants, many not destroyed during the war.

In the afternoon of Christmas Day I will be traveling to Zirndorf once again to experience what the Christmas season would have been like for my young mother. This journey will be my spiritual retreat “in the wilderness” and a pilgrimage to imagine again my mother walking safely to her home, the third floor of 13 Bogenstrasse. My journey for these 5 days will be a solo experience for me, at this magical time of year, Christmas. I believe this experience will be fulfilling for me in many ways, similar to the blessed sacrament of baptism.

May both shadow and light guide you to God-With-Us.

Offered by Robin Nielsen