Do not be weary in doing what is right. 2 Thessalonians 3:13
We live in challenging times and at such times it is tempting
to focus only on our own personal relationship with God. I
have recently been reading The Emergent Christ by Ilia Delio,
a very challenging book on several levels. She writes that “If
God is absent from the world, maybe it is because we refuse
to give birth to God in our daily lives; we refuse to incarnate
the Word, to make God come alive.”
During Advent we are challenged to stay awake, to be alert
not just to the presence of God in our lives, but also to those
times and places where God has called us to be Christ in the
world, to be Christ’s hands and feet, to make a difference in
the lives of others through our prayers, our loving presence,
and our actions. We need to be willing to be open and
vulnerable not just to the leading of the Spirit but also to the
needs of others, rather than cocoon ourselves in our own
little worlds. The purpose of prayer and of the Christian life
is not to be comfortable; it is to be transformed — to open
ourselves to God’s transforming love. As we know, being
transformed (whether inwardly or outwardly) is neither easy
nor comfortable. Ilia Delio suggests that we need to be in
the business of “whole-making” as Jesus was, seeking to
bring peace and understanding and reconciliation to our
broken world, to practise forgiveness, and to let go of our
own anger and resentment. Several years ago three phrases
came to me during my walking meditation: loving intent —
deep listening — compassionate action. As I meditated on
these phrases, I came to see them as the essence of prayer
and of the Christian life. Loving intent and deep listening are
not enough; we must respond with compassionate action.
–– Sr. Elizabeth Rolfe-Thomas, SSJD
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