Advent is not about a sentimental waiting for the Baby Jesus.

The Gospel gives human suffering deep, personal, and cosmic meaning, by connecting our pain to the pain of others and, finally, by connecting us to the very "pain of God".

The same powerful Scripture text that brings a loving person to even greater love will be mangled and misused by a fearful or egocentric person. This is surely what Jesus means when he talks about the one who has being given more and those who have not losing what little they have.

We do not make or create our souls, we just grow them up.

In the second half of life, people have less power to infatuate you. But they also have much less power to control you or hurt you.

When we can see the image of God where we don't want to see the image of God, then we see with eyes not our own.

Heartbreaks, disappointments and even our own weaknesses can serve as stepping-stones to the second half of life transformation. Failings are the foundation for growth. Those who have fallen, failed or 'gone down' are the only ones who understand 'up.'