With all that life throws at us, it can be hard to hold on to a sense of wonder. Yet, the Christmas story is full of surprises, amazing events which touch ordinary lives, from a sky full of angels to a newborn baby. This series of Advent Reflections is an invitation to rediscover wonder and what it has to teach us: to be open to possibilities, not be afraid to ask questions, to live with everyday mysteries and be willing to accept unexpected gifts… and to reconnect with the God of surprises.
The audio reflections will be posted weekly here. You will receive further reflection material (including a transcript of the audio) in the printed booklet or online as PDFs. Please have a look at the Retreat Guide and the Introduction before you start — available here to read or download. The reflections will remain online well into 2026, so please feel free to move through them at your own pace, or go back to anything which has been helpful.
Part 1 — Curiosity
That view of the January sky – click on the words to look at or use the button to download…
Part 2 — Awe
I discovered Ian White’s setting of Psalm 8 on YouTube, listen here (you get Psalm 9 as a bonus!)
Part 3 — Small Wonders
Part of this reflection invites you to contemplate a painter by the Flemish artist Pieter Van Lint. You will find the painting tucked inside your booklet or attached to your email, it is always available to download here:
Part 4 —Mystery
Are we really made of stardust? Well, yes, actually. “It’s not an analogy, it’s literally true.” There’s more explanation of the science here, and listen to a NASA astrophysicist talking about it here.
Image on this page (of the Milky Way) is by Andy Holmes on Unsplash, other images used in promoting this retreat are by Klemen Vrankar and Hikarinoshita Hikari, both on Unsplash. The music is from the fab guys at Purple Planet (real music, not AI!)