Spiritual Advisor
(Each month, a Spiritual Advisor will write an article)
"A Time Will Come For Singing" - Dan Schutte
A time will come for singing
When all your tears are shed
When sorrows chains are broken
And broken hearts will mend
The deaf will hear your singing
When silent tongues are freed
The lame will join your dancing
When blind eyes learn to see
A time will come for singing
When trees will raise their boughs
When men lay down their armor
And hammer their swords into plows
When beggars live as princes
And orphans find their homes
When prison cells are emptied
And hatred has grown old
A time will come for singing
A hymn by hearts foretold
That kings have sought for ages
And treasured more than gold
Its lyrics turn to silver
When sung in harmony
The Lord of Love
Will teach us to sing its melody
Listen to it here:
To My Sisters and Brothers who wait in joyful hope:
Advent is my favorite liturgical season. For me, the time of year, the lengthening of darkness, the coming winter, the year drawing to a close all combine to make me more reflective. 2021 has o been only slightly brighter than 2020, with COVID still with us, loss and death still haunting us, hatred and violence still rampant, injustice, prejudice and persecution still driving too many human behaviors.
Advent appears as four weeks of gentle beckoning toward the Light which (Who) never tires of offering us hope. Advent resounds with the Incarnation and reflects the Incarnation even before the official arrival of Christmas; not because of shoppers, parades and festivities filling up our December calendar, but because when we call out, “Come, Lord Jesus” he comes NOW to renew us, comfort us, heal us and guide us toward the Light and Love we long for.
Dan Schutte’s hymn articulates my own longing for a better time, when the prophecies of Isaiah come true again, hopefully in our lifetime. Advent invites us to dream of such a time, because if we can’t imagine it, we can’t really hope for it or work toward it. I like to think of Advent as the season of communal longing for a better world.
So light a candle; sit in quiet prayer; open to the saving influx of grace and peace until your heart begins to sing. Then ask the Messiah to lead you to whomever, wherever your particular talents and personality will make a difference in the life of someone struggling in the darkness. Each of us without exception is needed in this vast ocean of humanity. The song we sing is the Gospel: the Good News of Jesus, the promise and fulfillment of Light and Love, peace, goodness, joy and unending hope. Keep singing and sharing (as we did at our November Focus Day); and that will lead to a Christmas beyond our expectations!
Feliz Navidad!
Sr. Edna Michel
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