When I see images and hear stories of people, created in God's image, suffering due to violence, war, greed, and political power, it is hard for me to have joy. There is a longing in my heart for joy, but how can I be joyful with so much brokenness in and around me?
In an Advent reading by Joan Chittister, I was challenged to have an "Alleluia Heart" She reminded me that "gratitude is not only the posture of praise but it is also the basic element of real belief in God. Gratitude is the alleluia to existence, the praise that thunders through the univere as tribute to the ongoing presence of God with us even now."
Gratitude and praise are not just shallow utterances. but expessions of joy to our Creator and a recognition of our great need for the Divine in our lives. We are often helpless to meet the needs around us and in us, but we are not alone. As God accompanies us in our brokenness, we are enabled to be with-men and with-women to others in need. The "Allelulia Heart" gestates in the depth of our being - where the Christ resides, as we share the gifts of the Holy Presence with others.
It was a time like this,
War & tumult of war,
a horror in the air.
Hungry yawned the abyss –
and yet there came the star
and the child most wonderfully there.
It was a time like this
of fear & lust for power,
license & greed and blight –
and yet the Prince of bliss
came into the darkest hour
in quiet & silent light.
And in a time like this
How celebrate his birth
When all things fall apart?
Ah! Wonderful it is
with no room on the earth
the stable is our heart.
~ Madeleine L’Engle, “Into the Darkest Hour”
Song: Alleluia: Taize
Reflection
During this week of advent season, for what are you grateful? Each night as you review the day, name the things you are grateful for.
How does an "Alleluia Heart" strike you? What are ways you nurture joy and allow it to gestate in your heart?
Resource
Chittister, J. (December 13, 20233), A touch of Beauty: Daily Advent Surprises.
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