20 Dec Spirit Within (Lk 1:24-25) by Jean Noon
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.” ~ Lk 1:24-25
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Reflection: In the culture of Zechariah and Elizabeth, in the time of Jesus, barrenness was seen as a curse. Jesus spent much of his ministry expanding his listeners’ understanding of the nature of God and the kingdom, shifting paradigms away from notions like this. Jesus initiated another important shift away from seeing the law as something outside ourselves — written on a stone tablet, that is, an external motivator, e.g., reward or punishment, and toward the fullness of God’s spirit of love, forgiveness and mercy within as the motivation for all that we do. Only God changes hearts! These shifts in understanding are truly miracles, the work of God alone. Celebrating Advent means patiently ‘Waiting on God’ to increase what has been planted and sown. We remain awake and alert to God’s will and wait on the manifestation of God’s spirit within as the power behind all that we do. Trust in God alone is the key to our being the body of Christ, in overcoming evil with good — with love.
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Challenge: What prayers are you waiting for God to answer? Consider how God might be answering those prayers in unexpected ways.
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Prayers LIFE Runners Creed to end abortion. .
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Inspiration: “Even when procreation is not possible, conjugal life does not for this reason lose its value. Physical sterility in fact can be for spouses the occasion for other important services to the life of the human person–for example, adoption, educational work, assistance to other families and to poor or handicapped children.” ~ St. John Paul II, “Familiaris Consortio”
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All In Christ for Pro-Life,
Jean
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* Jean Noon and her husband Tom have two grown sons. Jean is a spiritual director/teacher in the Arlington Diocese of Northern VA.