An Advent Prayer

from A Common Prayer by Michael Leunig

Dear God,


We struggle, we grow weary, we grow tired.

We are exhausted, we are distressed, we despair.

We give up, we fall down, we let go.

We cry.

We are empty, we grow calm, we are ready.

We wait quietly.

A small, shy truth arrives.

Arrives from without and within.

Arrives and is born.

Simple, steady, clear.

Like a mirror, like a bell, like a flame.

Like rain in summer.

A precious truth arrives and is born within us.

Within our emptiness.

We accept it, we observe it, we absorb it.

We surrender to our bare truth.

We are nourished, we are changed. We are blessed.

We rise up.

For this we give thanks.

Amen.