Jan Richardson, artist in residence at the San Pedro Center, a retreat and conference center in the Catholic diocese of Orlando, has written her third book of reflections and art entitled, In Wisdom’s Path: Discovering the Sacred in Every Season. In a chapter entitled, Advent, she draws on the work of Sister Doris Klein, C.S.A. and offers a powerful Advent metaphor: cave dwelling.
During one of her presentations at the San Pedro Center, Sister Doris offered the following words, “In the cave of our hearts…in the fabric of our lives…in the soul of our earth…you continue, O God, to be born!” Sister Doris holds the opinion that Christ was born in a cave and believes that “we all carry a cave, a hidden place within us, into which God longs to be born.”
Moreover,“Advent is a season that invites us to enter that place, to turn inward and encounter the God who seeks to emerge through us.” I found these words especially encouraging. In my mind they capture the incarnational nature of our faith, reminding us that God is revealed and present in our hearts and in our lives.
So, as we enter this most holy season of watching and waiting, and as we prepare our hearts for the re – birth of Christ in our world and in our lives, may each of us discover that cave, that sacred place within ourselves where God seeks to dwell and allow Emmanuel, God – with – us, to be reborn in our hearts and be ever more present in our lives. May we all commit to cave dwelling during this holy and sacred season.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Be born in us that we might be reborn through you.