traveling a spiral of time

"A new liturgical year...Once more we walk the path of Christ's life. We don't walk beside him. Because we are children, he holds our hand and leads us. The journey is slow as we take short, uncertain steps. The journey is repeated over and over as we get lost many times through the years. We are learning our way home.

The liturgical year imprints the way on our soul - it's a map. But maps are flat, so instead of a circle a spiral may be a better description of the liturgical year. We travel up and down a spiral of time, knowing the ending even while we eagerly anticipate the beginning. Past and future are made present: The past happens again. The future has already happened. And the present happens now, minute by minute, straddling both. It's the smallest taste of infinity.

Where does the way ultimately lead? We have words for it, very inadequate words, but we don't, we can't, know. So we're taken by the hand to begin again."

Susan H. O'Keefe - Living the Days of Advent and the Christmas Season 2009