Advent Sunday 3: Journeys (Verso l'Alto)

This is part III of a series called Journeys, personal reflections on the season of Advent presented in four parts – Readiness in Memory and Hope, Setting Forth, Verso l’Alto, and The Return. Join me in following in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary as they traveled to Bethlehem and the Wise Men as they followed the star.

Verso l'Alto

Last Friday I attended an evening Christmas concert at St. Teresa’s. Sitting in the semi-dark church, listening to the performance of the choir and the orchestra, my gaze kept shifting upwards: to the crucifix, the ceiling, the beautiful stained-glass windows illuminated by candlelight. And sitting there, taking it all in, it wasn't long before my very soul was uplifted. 

So much about the architecture of a church is about that upward movement: the vaulted ceilings, towering columns, pointed arches, tall candlesticks, raised altar area, and hanging crucifix all draw our eyes upward.

Even the rituals of Mass direct our eyes heavenward: the Book of Gospels is lifted on high, incense curls toward the heavens, candle smoke drifts heavenward, the consecrated host is raised, and even our voices are elevated in praise and prayer.

After the Christmas concert, we wandered outside on the church grounds where spotlights illuminated the Three Wise Men figures positioned at the bottom of a hill. During Advent, they will slowly be moved up toward the stable perched on top of the hill. Again, the verticality of movement. 

When we returned home, I pulled out a prayer card with a photo taken in 1925 of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati climbing a mountain. Written across the top are the words Verso l’alto, which translated literally means towards the heights. Those words have become a rallying cry of what it means to walk on this earth while striving to reach the summit of eternal life.

It’s a simple idea, but while verso l’alto can refer to the physical act of climbing, on a deeper level it refers to what we are doing while climbing: who we are as a child of God; how we act, forgive, live our faith, help the sick, love our neighbor. And during Advent, this season of preparation, we are reminded of those things we need in order to find meaning and purpose on our climb. 

Verso l'alto.