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When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”
- Matthew 11:2-5
The third Sunday in Advent is often referred to as Gaudete Sunday – gaudete being Latin for rejoice. Imprisoned, awaiting execution, John the Baptist probably did not feel much like rejoicing. But meeting John where he was, in the direst of circumstances, Jesus invited him to experience joy by confirming the rumors he was hearing were true; rumors that the person his people had been waiting for -- the anointed one, the messiah, the christ -- had indeed come. John didn’t know exactly what this anointed one would look like or act like, but he did know that such a one would change the world. He sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one?”
Jesus responded descriptively, quoting the prophet Isaiah. In effect, Jesus said “Look around, what do you hear and see? Compassion is being incarnated; healing is happening. The kingdom of God, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah, is present here and now.”
Like John the Baptist, we may not always feel much like rejoicing. Worries can blind and bind us. Today we are invited to open our eyes and ears, to see and hear God’s very presence and action, here and now. Compassion, healing, love are actually all around us. And, lest we forget, we were reminded last week that we too have the capacity to give birth to, to manifest the Divine Presence. Even in difficult times, we can take a deep breath and say, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
Meditations
“John did not have many details. He did not know the name of the one who was coming … or what he looked like, but he knew that the old world was about to end, and a new world was spinning toward him … He called people to wake up, turn around, so that they would not miss the new thing God was doing right before their eyes.”
- Barbara Brown Taylor, Home by Another Way
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“Visible, verifiable actions are signs that contain [Christ’s] presence and action here and now. Whenever and wherever the action of Jesus takes place, the life of God is transmitted … Through the living contact with Christ, we become icons of Christ, that is, manifestations of the Gospel in daily life.”
- Thomas Keating, as quoted in Faith: An Advent Companion, a 40-day praxis booklet
To Practice
- In An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor writes, “Blessing prayers do not overlook … complexities or the pain and suffering … They simply decline to adjudicate it. Rightly or not … given a choice between a blessing and a curse, a blessing will do more to improve air quality.” This week take whatever opportunities present themselves to bless others you encounter.
- Music, like art, can efface the thin membrane between “the world of sense events and spiritual encounter” (Mark Geard, last week’s email). Perhaps this week, you might listen to this music piece – or one of your own choosing -- as a way of opening yourself to the Divine Presence, growing within you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7ySn-Swwc. You may also find this selection on Spotify or other music platforms.
- Post your reflections on the community forum here. Post prayer requests here. By clicking on the Subscribe link on the right-hand side of a thread, you can receive email notifications when someone posts a comment or a prayer request.
- The new podcast conversation series from Contemplative Outreach, called "Opening Minds, Opening Hearts," is now available on your favorite podcast platform. You can listen to a 5-minute trailer and find the first episodes here on our website.
Join in two Word of the Week Prayer Chapels (UTC/GMT offset -6 hours). Each prayer group has a slightly different reflection, therefore some participants attend both.
- Tuesday, 8:00-9:00 AM Central (Chicago) Time
- Wednesday, 5:00-6:00 PM Central (Chicago) Time
You can use this time zone converter to assist in calculating the prayer groups in your local time.
To join use this meeting connection:
About five minutes prior to the time of prayer, you may either
or
- Open Zoom, click-on "join meeting," and enter meeting ID 445 909 4698. Passcode: COL
Or, if this time does not work for you, there are additional opportunities to support your silent prayer practice and spiritual journey on Meditation Chapel, a Zoom-enabled, worldwide community. All groups are free and open to all. Read more about the groups on The Meditation Chapel here.
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