Too often religions use to Bible to prove their own legitimacy instead of searching for the experience of the divine in the world.  Advent begins with three readings of Isaiah contemplating God in the original understanding of the ancient Hebrews, the One who made the heavens and the earth.

The magnificent readings around Chapter 11 described wisdom and intelligence as seeing the presence of God in the mountains, especially the holy mountain where all peoples and nations gather together as one, in the places where the rivers and the sea meet, in the blind, the lame, the hard of hearing, those of other capacities, in those who wrap justice around themselves, who judge not by appearance, nor hearsay, nor bribes, but have a voice to defend the needy and scatter the corrupt.

How harsh and dreadful to know how to discover God in the actual context of daily life. In November, six homicides right around our chapel and six thousand migrants along the border in the cold and rain. The psalmist asked we look to the mountains for help. Where does our help come from but from our God? The Advent season announces a time to wait for liberation, for the revelation of goodness found in the child born and wrapped in swaddling clothes in a stable Isaiah describes that waiting in steadfast, faithful hope: do what is right, and as much as you can and leave room for all others to act in the same manner.

Our children are well enjoying December, the happiest of all months. They went to dance yesterday to celebrate the day of the handicapped and try to get an apparatus so that Cynthia can walk. We are opening a community center for a range of classes open to all. We started with sewing and clothing design and will include other courses.

We are waiting for the plans from the architect for the new house for men and boys with challenges.
He is the same that is designing the new cathedral. I bit my tongue and did not implore him to dedicate his effort to our worthwhile project and not to that of the Bishop. But the Bishop has more pesos.

We have been offered land for a new center for vocational training. That will happen after the rains, sometime after Easter. I hope to move the carpentry shop there, plus electricity, and plumbing, but only with an ingredient of education in the Morality of sharing. No need to teach only how to gain a good living exclusively for oneself.

One more program to go together with remedial home work school- designed for youth to continue school and do community service- now in the paperwork stage. So much more to do in little time, only confiding that it be in God's time.