Why
do we go on a journey? Moving on to a new place,
whether geographically or in our own heart, is a
way of expressing a desire for something we now
lack. Maybe we’re looking for a better job,
renewed health, or greater challenges. Whatever
the goal, we eagerly look forward to it as we move
from the present into our future. Sometimes the
change calls for sacrifice, but the expected
benefits keep us looking to the future, whatever
the present cost might be.
There are journeys that cover many miles, or
that go on for a very long time. There are also
journeys of the heart, when time and distance are
secondary to an inner longing for something
better. And sometimes the outer journey and the
inner movement are all one.
The ancient Hebrews longed to be freed from
their slavery in Egypt, and underwent a forty-year
trek with Moses through the desert on their way to
the Promised Land. They often complained bitterly,
but they continued to believe in God’s promises,
which finally came to fruition in their new
homeland. Many centuries later, Mary and Joseph
made the long trip to Bethlehem as Jesus’ birth
was imminent. Mary’s condition made the trip
wearisome, even exhausting, but the thought of
holding her newborn child in her arms eased the
difficulty of the dusty roads and the search for
lodging. The young noblewoman Clare slipped away
from her family castle in twelfth-century central
Italy in the middle of the night, never to return,
to begin a new life of total dedication to God in
poverty and simplicity and joy. We, too, have
stories we could tell of journeys we have made to
a new place in life. We can look back and see what
a difference it made that we accepted a challenge
presented to us by life, and moved on.
Now we find ourselves on an Advent journey.
While Advent is a time of waiting, of looking
forward to the celebration of Christmas, it is not
simply sitting back until the Lord Jesus comes to
us. It is an active waiting, a longing, a going
forth to meet our Savior. We are challenged to
leave behind whatever keeps us from growing into a
better person than we now are, and move forward to
the person we can be. As little children long for
the toys and bright lights and sugary treats of
Christmas, we all have a deep yearning for—what?
We may try to fill that emptiness inside with all
sorts of things, passing fancies, but the
emptiness we experience is a place that only God
can fill. God is waiting for us this Advent, just
as he waits for us each day of our lives. We are
invited to turn toward the One who calls us to
life and peace, and journey to that place in our
heart where our deepest needs and desires will be
met.
By Sister Catherine
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