Quarter-Temper Friday in Advent, Luke 2:39-46 (Part One)
I am still reading the old Roman Breviary, I do this until Christmas. Today it is again one of the “quarter-temper days”, days of contemplation and repentance, just as last Wednesday. I thought there were just four of those days in a year, but apparently there are more of them in one week in each quarter. Tomorrow is the last one for this time of the year.
Just as last Wednesday the text in the Breviary is by Ambrose, a church-father. The theme of the text is a meeting between Maria and a woman called Elisabeth. Maria and Elisabeth are family and both pregnant. When Elizabeth’ child in the womb heard Maria greeting her cousin Elisabeth, it jumps up in her womb. This unborn child is John, who later on announces the coming of Jesus. On the picture of the stain glass window both unborn children are reaching out to each other.
Just today, sitting in the car with a friend, we talked about what it means to come to this world -being born- and what our experiences in early life and further on, taught and brought us. So I wonder now, seeing this picture of the two babies in the wombs, what did I hope for as an unborn child?
I’ve pulled the King of Cups from the Tarot of a Moon Garden as an answer to this question. I must say, I do find it difficult to relate this card with my hopes as an unborn child. I do have to ponder on this one, and I do not know if I will come back to it in an entry.