A Reflection For Advent 2014
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In her beautiful book of meditations, “Fragments of Your Ancient Name”, Joyce Rupp writes:
Come, Spirit of Joy, come!
Be reborn in us. Birth enthusiasm.
Leap into our minds with gladness.
Dance away dismal discouragement.
Toss out griping and antipathies.
Topple old fortifications of blame.
Chase away what creates sadness.
Loosen all that keeps out your joy.
Hasten our footsteps to happiness.
Fulfill the designs of your heart.
God indeed has plans for each of us and God desires our happiness that in our lives we might fulfill the designs God’s heart. It is through living out our particular vocation that we are called over and over again to fulfill God’s designs in the world.
At the beginning of this Advent, 2014 we also begin the celebration of the “Year of Consecrated Life”. During this special Year, women and men who are vowed members of religious communities are asked to re-examine and renew the commitments of their vocation. But Advent provides an invitation to all of us to “take stock” of our lives; to re-examine and renew our commitments in light of our personal and varied vocations. In this special liturgical time of waiting anew for the coming of Christ in our hearts and in our world will we receive that invitation and pray, “Come, Spirit of Joy, come! Be reborn in us?”