As the Advent time draws near
We wait with expectation
As Mary and her husband dear
Await the Incarnation.

Advent is a time to look
To watch with eyes of Faith
To make our hearts an open book
Our souls an empty slate.

For Christ will surely come to all
To write upon our inward scroll
The words of Faith He shall recall
And childhood’s love extol

The Baby Jesus shall rekindle
The child of Faith deep down within
For as we light the Advent candle
We shall give birth to Him.

 

Mary, Mother of our Lord
And Savior, Jesus Christ,
Did give herself without reward
Within God's gracious sight.

The Virgin's faith was powerful
She opened her heart to God,
And in her womb, so wonderful
Was born the Son of God.

For God came down to live with us
To walk with humankind,
His gracious gift he gave to us
His loving, righteous mind.

From manger meek Christ did arise
He worked, He taught, He preached,
And as he healed our blinded eyes,
God to man did reach.

Like Mary, now, we wait in awe
For the Advent of the Lord,
And when we see him, one and all,
We'll worship and adore.

 

 

Advent III

In Advent time we look within
And reflect upon our lives,
Upon the sins which come again
And again to terrorize.

The many doubts which weigh us down
The many fears that hold
Our souls, so captive to the ground
Our spirits, so deadly cold.

The world has taught us not to trust
To fear and run away,
From the Christ Child’s loving touch
That will cast our sin away.

If only we will look to Him
In these Advent Days,
God will touch us all again
And in our souls He’ll stay.

Our barren hearts He’ll fill today
Our tattered rags He’ll mend,
And as our Lord was born that Day
We, too, shall be born again.

 

Look to the child of Bethlehem,
Laying in the straw;
Your adoration give to him,
His grace you shall recall.

The Christ Child, mighty power gives,
To all who come and pray;
Your love and faith now give to him,
Your life is His today.

Christ was born to give us life
Eternal, here today,
So lift your cold and down-cast sight,
And see Him laying in the hay.

Just as He came to us that Night,
When God and Man were one,
So now we watch, these Advent nights,
The Clouds for Him to come.

So sing with Joy when Christmas comes,
Rejoice, give thanks and praise,
“For unto us the Holy One . . .
Is born!” our voices raise.

Gregory S. Neal +
Advent 1994