« Behold the day is coming, the day of justice and peace »
”The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion cub feed together
with a little boy to lead them.”
2nd week in Advent
« Behold the day is coming, the day of justice and peace »
”The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion cub feed together
with a little boy to lead them.”
We continue our invitation to “live Christmas differently”
This week we will become aware of our relationship to air and earth.
Air
Some questions
· In town or in the countryside, what reminds me that air is a common good that does not belong to anyone but that each person has the power to alter?
· Do I reflect on the consequences of my choices on the quality of the air? (choice of what I purchase, the use of a car, of products that pollute...)
Proposals for action
· I go outside and breathe deeply, reminding myself that this air is life for millions of human beings and, in doing this, I am entering into communion with them.
· I check that the products that I use daily for household purposes or personal hygiene do not have negative effects on the air.
The Earth
Some questions
· What is my link with the earth? What does the term “mother earth” mean for me? Have I ever cultivated the earth? How did I do it? What did I feel like?
· Land ownership can be a major issue in some regions and countries. Am I aware of these questions?
Proposals for action
· I make use of this Advent time to take a stroll in the countryside, alone or in a group, looking at it as “Creation”.
· I ask myself where the food I buy comes from, linking it with the earth from which it comes (is this earth in danger, polluted by the way it is produced?)
In prayer, I meditate on this Sunday’s texts.
It is the whole cosmos that is preparing for the coming of Christ.
A practical exercise on how to listen, proposed by ND du Web (Our Lady of the Web)
John the Baptist calls to conversion. My whole being - my head, my heart, - is committed to this conversion.
This week I could be more attentive to the way I listen, to the way I welcome the word of others, those close to me, in my family or at work, but also those far away whom I contact by television or newspaper: the cries of joy or despair, the calls for help, the silences of the one who cannot speak or who has not the power of speech.
What do I hear through these words? How do I react?
I will ask the Lord to enlighten me about my way of listening to, or not listening to certain persons at certain times, and to what conversion he calls me to prepare the way for his coming.