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What Love Is Worthy of the Commitment of Your Freedom?
The Advent season commenced on the heels of our celebration of Christ the King. With this feast day, the Church gives us the opportunity to express that our allegiance to Jesus Christ supersedes any allegiance to earthly powers that threaten to oppose the reign of God. As the Body of Christ, a body that has no national boundaries, we move forward into the new year, announcing in word and deed, as Jesus did, liberation to the oppressed, good news to people who are poor and afflicted, and a year of God's favor to all creation.
Even though we elect our public officials, I believe that God elects every human being to serve the reign of God according to their unique giftedness. With God, we have no need for campaign speeches and ballot boxes to prove our worthiness to love and make a contribution to the common good. In the eyes of God, there are no winners or losers, only the victory of God's love embracing all of creation.
All people are created with an innate dignity and special capacities to make the world a better place. The real challenge is discernment
---- that is, making a decision in conversation with God about how and what we will do to promote the reign of God's justice and peace on Earth.
In this "land of the free," are we making life decisions from a place of internal freedom? God always works through interior freedom, never forcing us, but allowing us to respond out of our deep desire for love.
The famous Jesuit, Father Pedro Arrupe, puts it this way: "Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love
---- and it will decide everything." What love is worthy of the commitment of your freedom?
Blessings on your Advent,
Sister Sara
P.S. Sister Lorraine and I are tweeting daily Advent reflections! Follow us on Twitter
@ASisterReflects.
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