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December 6

A Heart That Listens

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

1 Samuel 3:10

Reflection

How many close relationships do you have in which you do all the talking? None,right? Because that’s not how close relationships work.

Yet I saw a woman recentlyfor spiritual direction–a deeply committed Christian, dedicated to prayer–but whenI asked about her prayer life I was surprised. Her day started with intercessions,then she met in a small prayer group, said the daily offices, and prayed three rosaries a day. When she finished, I said, “That’s a lot of words.
” She instantly got it.
“Oh; I need to spend some time listening!”

So we talked about one way to do that:
Think of a place that means something to you. You’re there, and begin to sense Jesus’ presence. Then you see him. What is his expression? What are you feeling? What do you want to say to him?

Say it, and then get quiet and listen for his response. When words cease, stay with the silence. You may worry that it isn’t real, just what you’re hoping to hear. Tell him, and askhim to protect you and teach you. Jesus’ sheep know his voice: and that voice will teach you to know yourself as God’s Beloved.

Susan Pitchford TSSF
Americas Province

Reflective Action

Walk in Silence with Creation

Take a short walk outdoors, if possible.
With each step, listen, not just with your ears, but with your whole being.
Hear the rustle of leaves, the cry of birds, the hush of wind. As you walk, repeat gently:
“Speak, Creator God, I am listening.”
Let the natural world become your chapel of attentiveness.

Franciscan Quote

Let everyone be struck with fear,
Let the whole world tremble,
And let the heavens exult
When Christ the Son of the Living God,
Is present on the altar in the hands of a priest!
O wonderful loftiness and stupendous dignity!
O sublime humility!
O humble sublimity!

(From the letter to the Entire Order 27)

Prayer

Whispering God,
In the hush of winter,
in the breath of stars,
in the deep places of the earth—
may I hear Your voice.

Draw me close in silence
and teach me to listen with love.

CULTURAL insight

One Christmas Eve, long ago when I was young, I was driving my old car to lead services on the Standing Rock reservation – Wakpala, the place where I was ordained, where I was given my name by a Lakota medicine man. Through the cold moonlit night, I drove like a ribbon across the treeless landscape, breathing in the silence like a blessing.

I have sat in silence among Navajo elders in Monument Valley, watching the hot eye of the sun move across the desert floor in waves of light. Beauty surrounded us. There was no need to speak. In Alaska cabins, I’ve listened to the wind as though it were calling me by name. I have slept in villages where Indigenous people have lived for 10,000 years. Christmas is timeless among our people – a reminder that all creation gathers around the source. All creatures in kinship, as Mother Earth calls us to the center of the circle of life.We see our Advent written in the stars. We sing the birth of many births, the great family of love and hope, spread out like the Milky Way – the same one floating above me when I drove to Wakpala on that cold Christmas Eve.

Steven Charleston
Retired American Episcopal bishop of Alaska and a member of the Choctaw Nation.

Leaping with joy

“You shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace.”

1 Samuel 3:10

developmental markers

week 11

In the womb

  • Size: 4–5 cm (1.5–2 inches), about the size of a fig
  • Strong, regular movement
  • Fingers and toes fully separated
  • Facial expressions possible

in the mother

  • Energy may slowly begin to return
  • Early bump may start to show
  • Increased sense of connection as the baby’s humanity becomes more visible through scans or reflection

reflection

Now there is full of movement – stretching, kicking, somersaulting inside the womb!

Although still too small to be felt, this activity is a secret dance of life.

The face is distinctly human: ears are in place, the mouth can open and close, and tooth buds are forming under the gums.

This hidden dance mirrors John the Baptist leaping in Elizabeth’s womb at the sound of Mary’s voice.

Joy is already embodied, even before it is seen or celebrated.

Advent reminds us: even before fulfilment, joy stirs.

Life leaps toward love.

wonderings:

I wonder what it means to leap for joy

I wonder where we can see the dance of life happening around us

Journaling Prompts

If you keep an Advent Journal, here are some ideas you could write about;

Imagine a place where you feel safe and still –real or imagined.
Picture Jesus approaching you there.

Now complete these short reflections in your journal:
Where am I sitting with Jesus?
What is his expression? How do I feel?
What do I want to say to him?
What do I sense him saying back?
Write just one phrase or word you feel invited to hold onto today.

Navajo Nation

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