Hope

"Watch, and be ready."

 

 

Eucharist Door with Lord’s Prayer (Detail)

SUBIRACHS, Josep Maria

Between 1987 and 2000

Stone carving

Bacilica de la Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Spain

 

The Lord's Prayer written in several languages on the Central door of the Glory facade by J.M. Subirachs. Detail of door handles with the letters A and G, Antoni Gaudí’s initials. (below)
Photo by Philip Serracino Inglott.

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20201128321881840&code=ACT&RC=56218&Row=3

 

Eucharist Door of the Glory Facade showing, at bottom,

the “A…G” for Antoni Gaudi



https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Puerta_Gloria.jpg





 

 

 

 

Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well,

but the certainty that something makes sense

regardless of how it turns out.

~ Vaclav Havel

 

 

Let us be alert then, and wakeful,

and be sure not to miss the signs, or the promise,

or the hope we have been given.

~ Kathryn Matthews Huey

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving 2020 in Tokyo

Ray Yoshioka inspecting the turkey,

Robin Sakamoto bought it in Tokyo!

 

Meishi Sakakibara

 

Thanksgiving 2020 in United States

Zooming with wonderful family members!

 

 

Remembering

George Nelson

1939 - November 22, 2020

George loved my doggies and they loved him!

 

Anna Marie and George Nelson with JAK.

Anna Marie is my golfing buddy and George always checked my clubs.

(They are actually his old clubs.)

 

 

 

 

 

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all.

~ Emily Dickenson

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 29, 2020  First Sunday of Advent Year B

                

Previous OPQs may be found at: 

     http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

 

 

Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering,

the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,

and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Mark 13:24-37

 

 

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org 

 

 

 

God of justice and peace,

from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness, 

that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder 

before your marvelous deeds.

 

The serigraph A Visit, one of John Swanson’s greatest works, has long been out of print. A Visit visually tells the story of The Annunciation when the angel Gabriel visits Mary to announce the coming birth of Jesus. A Visit shows how the Incarnation is borne out amidst a tapestry of everyday life and illustrates how our story commingles with the story of God coming to earth and bringing forth new life. This rare and out of print John Swanson serigraph is available for sale through Eyekons Gallery.

 

https://www.eyekons.com/john_swanson_serigraphs/john_swanson_a_visit_s

 

http://www.johnaugustswanson.com

 

 

 

The Watchman

Paul Wilbur

LISTEN to it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70cYqHuDKE4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
I Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37

 

 

Isaiah 64:1-9

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence—
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD,
and do not remember iniquity forever.
Now consider, we are all your people.

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Shepherd of Israel, listen! 
You, the one who leads Joseph
as if he were a sheep.
You, who are enthroned
upon the winged heavenly creatures.
Show yourself before Ephraim,
Benjamin, and Manasseh!
Wake up your power!
Come to save us!
Restore us, God!
Make your face shine
so that we can be saved!

LORD God of heavenly forces,
how long will you fume
against your people’s prayer?
You’ve fed them bread made of tears;
you’ve given them tears
to drink three times over!
You’ve put us at odds with our neighbors;
our enemies make fun of us.
Restore us, God of heavenly forces!
Make your face shine
so that we can be saved!

Let your hand be
with the one on your right side—
with the one whom you secured
as your own—
then we will not turn away from you!
Revive us
so that we can call on your name.
Restore us,
LORD God of heavenly forces!
Make your face shine
so that we can be saved!

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, or in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mark 13:24-37

“But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”