Malachi 3:1-4; 23-24; Psalm 25: 4-5ab, 8-9, 10, 14; Luke 1:57-66
Mother Pauline exhorts her Sisters in a letter to Sister Liboria, “Use carefully the holy season of Advent and the beautiful feast of Christmas to renew your soul and that of your entire house” (December 9, 1858).
In keeping with this injunction Mother Pauline made nearly 160 years ago and considering today’s Responsorial Psalm, we ask God to teach us his paths, to guide the humble to justice, to teach the humble his way. It reminds us, too, that the paths of the Lord are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
For a Sister of Christian Charity, what does this mean? First of all, it means to have an open and uncluttered heart so that we can listen to the voice of God. During this season, as our calendars fill up with social obligations, responsibilities in the school, clinic, parish, and convent, and the decorating of our chapels and our homes for the feast of Christmas, it is increasingly difficult to maintain a heart of quiet and calm.
As active religious women, we cannot spend Advent in seclusion, but we can strive to maintain a heart which is open to God’s words. We are cognizant of Article 32 in our Constitutions: “As an active apostolic congregation, we embrace the mission entrusted to us by Christ: to go out to all the world and bring the good news—love, justice, peace.”
In the same article, Mother Pauline reminds us, “It is a great grace that God should permit us to assist in the spread of his kingdom.” As we conclude our Advent journey, we ask God for the openness of heart and the strength of will to follow in his path and to do what lies in our power to co-create a world of justice, kindness and constancy.
What am I doing to prepare the way of the Lord within my heart, with those with whom I come in contact, with the marginalized of the world?
No comments:
Post a Comment