So why a rooster, the first Sunday of Advent?!

The rooster is an ancient symbol in the Church - a portrayal of something beyond its mean, self-important, yet simple self. It is a sign of resurrection. It's the cock-crow groan of Creation, as it waits, calls, cries out for a new day.

It's a sign of newness. It signals Hope.

My wife says I don’t take enough pictures of people - mostly of scenery and things: too many of old churches and tombstones that mark my genealogical pursuits. I took this, on my Nikon D600, in Ireland a couple of years ago, exploring my Willoughby roots in Co Wicklow. I was off-trail in someone’s lovely garden, looking for a ‘Holy Well.’ Eh, voila! a rooster!

In the time of Jesus, the Jews followed an ancient division of marking the hours, and after midnight there came the first and second cock crowing. The rooster usually crows several times soon after midnight (and this was called the first crowing), and then again at the dawn of day (and this was called the second crowing).

Advent is the Beginning of the new Christian Calendar Year. It helps us remember and mark holy times and seasons in the Person and Work of God in and for His People, in and for His Creation. Especially just now we remember the One Who 'comes to make His blessings known, far as the curse is found.'

When we think of a rooster crowing, we also think of Peter and of his failure. Jesus who had prophesied (John 13:38) that Peter would deny even knowing Him three times before the cock crowed.

But in a sense, too, Peter is every follower of Jesus - every disciple, who wants so much to follow and serve the Lord but who fails so often. Peter is also a failure of all the People of God to - well, to be the People of God.  We note the failure of Israel in Old Testament times and of the Church today. Time and again, we fail to get it right - to do the right things.

But still we - as they, live in Hope, believing somehow, despite everything - with enemies without and fears and failures within - that God will break through once more to bring a New Day - the Day of the Lord.