2024 Advent Week Four - Finding Joy: Seek the Light

ADVENT (C)

WEEK FOUR

SE E K T H E LI GH T

…but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

JO H N 1 6 :2 2

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AUTHOR’S NOTE

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dvent. What a sacred time For those of us with a desire to of the year! The Christian engage in the season of Advent, faith invites us to embrace there is inner tension. The Spirit this season as an experience draws us inward while the world of expectant waiting – to open forces us outward toward a frenzied ourselves to a spiritual kind of pursuit of something that rarely pregnancy while we rely on patient satisfies. How do we reconcile this hope for the dawning of new life… tension? We don’t have to only new life for our broken world and acknowledge the way the Spirit is for our less than perfect selves. moving us inwardly. We don’t have We are asked to allow ourselves to to rebuke the sentimentality of the experience the darkness, and to holiday rush. The invitation of the open ourselves to a radical trust season is to allow our inner longings that new life WILL emerge. From to emerge and to be patient with this faith perspective, we are called them. Perhaps we can be intentional inward to listen deeply and to let go about practicing Advent again this of anything that gets in the way of year and, instead of resenting the hearing God’s gentle, loving voice tension, embrace it with joy? within us. Without distraction, we are This week, we reflect on light’s fully awake, fully present, fully open presence in the darkness... to recognize the light and to share it As we consider how Advent joy in all that we say and do. The power invites us out of darkness and fear, of light penetrates and dispels all open yourself to the spiritual practice darkness. of noticing the light.

The tone of our dominant culture is quite different. All things Christmas are ready for purchase even before Halloween. “Are you ready for Christmas?” is the conversation of the day. Thrown into a time of busyness, the hype and the glitz of a storybook Christmas strip us of the fullness of the power of Advent.

Mary Anne Sladich-Lantz Mary Anne has dedicated the majority of her career to ensuring that health care leaders have all that they need to remain faithful to the Catholic Mission while

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responding to the signs of the times.

Through her leadership, Providence has developed a ministry leadership formation program that has been highly regarded as best in class.

Only have a minute?

Start here.

Choose just one piece of content gathered here and dig deep: What does it say to you about joy? Can you point to an example in your own life?

I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light.

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light. To know the dark, go dark.

Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings, and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.

WENDELL BERRY

BARBARA BROWN TAYLOR

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” LUKE 1:26-30

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PAUSE TO INTEGRATE

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Where and when have you experienced joy this week?

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How can you continue to seek light in the darkness?

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VIDEO REFLECTION

Seek the Light A reflection courtesy of Mary Anne Sladich-Lantz. The Catholic Health Association extends its thanks to Providence St. Joseph Health for the use of its recording studio and to David Solheim for his on-site direction.

CLICK TO PLAY VIDEO

Filmed at Providence Studios, Renton, Wa.

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“Darkness and death give way to light and life.”

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PAUSE TO INTEGRATE

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What circumstances or relationships might bloom if you were willing to let joy be a nutrient for growth?

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What faithful practice or habit reminds you of light’s power in the darkness? What has it taught you most recently?

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Write a prayer of thanks for the glimmers of light you’ve seen in the last few days. Be specific.

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God of light, it is in your light that we see light. May I let the light of your love within me show forth for all the world to see. May your light fill me with such hope that there is never a reason to fear. Oh God, please find favor with me, and like Mary, may your will be done unto me as you will.

Amen.

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Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Advent READING ONE

Mic 5:1–4a READING TWO

Heb 10:5–10 GOSPEL

Lk 1:39-45

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Easy Listening

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler: “Life After Loss” with Jerry Sittser

SCAN FOR PODCAST

ADVENT PLAYLIST:

SCAN FOR PLAYLIST

Songs, podcast episodes, and more to incorporate into your Advent reflections and accompany your daily routine.

PODCAST EPISODE:

Read On A POEM:

“The Risk of Birth, Christmas, 1973”

by Madeleine L’Engle found in The Ordering of Love: New and Collected Poems of Madeleine L’Engle,

A BOOK:

A BOOK:

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved

by Kate Bowler

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