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Reflection for Saturday, 3rd week of Advent, year B1
I am trying to imagine the Annunciation scene. I wonder what she might look like. Maybe it was a great revelation with power during prayer, or maybe a soft, strange voice while performing some daily activity? The more I think, the more realistic the latter scenario becomes. Mary cleans the house and suddenly something happens. Or maybe nothing is happening and she only hears an inner voice inviting her to something great?
It is significant that the Harbinger does not come at the girl’s request. Mary, it seems, did not ask for God’s intervention in her life. She had them arranged somehow. She already had a fiancé, they probably had a place to live, and her future spouse had a profitable profession in his hand. Idyll, live not die! What more could you want? God, however, had a different idea for Miriam’s life. But one by one.
Often, when I am looking for God’s will in my life, I expect a clear and clear message. Even the tangible experience of meeting such an Angel who will tell me: do this and this, live this and that. But nothing like that happens. I hear no voice, no one appears to me. Then I start to figure out on my own and plan. Moreover, these plans make good assumptions, they make sense, and they have good prognosis. Sometimes you can still use them to serve your neighbor, so that I am not selfish… Of course, these ideas gain approval among friends and family. There are praises for having a head on my neck and just keeping it that way. So I start implementing it and start acting. After all, planning is only the beginning, and no one has succeeded in talking yet. You have to work to make your plans and dreams come true. I work hard. But God has other plans for me…
As in the lives of Mary and Joseph, God can make a good film in mine. He always turns my plans and ideas upside down. In an instant, everything collapses like a house of cards. Then a rebellion and disagreement with what is happening arise in me. And I’m trying to put everything back together myself. I save what I can … Unfortunately, it only gets worse. I run more and more from reality, in despair after lost dreams and hopes. I am not alive here and now. Family, friends and friends are relegated to the background, because what matters now is that I am so hopeless that nothing comes out in my life. Where else is there to take care of the house, people around me and their problems?
God usually comes with His answers, directions, plans when we least expect it. It manifests itself in everyday life, during everyday, simple and often boring activities. At work, studies, school, social and religious activities, but also at home. When washing dishes, floors and laundry. During family lunches and dinners, when you have to listen, what a bad son I am and how little I can do. And when in my room I cry from loneliness. Why then? Because then in a seemingly quite organized life I realize that something is wrong here. I have a job, studies, family, home etc. But something is wrong and I know it may be different. Only I tried to change it and nothing. Exactly – I tried … And now God wants to propose something else, a new life. I want to invite you to something great. And most importantly, He wants to change my life, and I don’t have to do anything.
Of course, this is revealed by the great desire for change that God puts in my heart. The characteristic of a desire is that it does not have to be fulfilled immediately, it can wait. The desire does not have to be realized immediately by me, it waits for the appropriate moment. He is waiting for favorable circumstances, favorable for people, and for God’s supernatural interventions. It is God who works in desire, not I.
Meditation on Saturday, 3rd week of Advent, year B1
I am trying to imagine the Annunciation scene. I wonder what she might look like. Maybe it was a great revelation with power during prayer, or maybe a soft, strange voice while performing some daily activity? The more I think, the more realistic the latter scenario becomes. Mary cleans the house and suddenly something happens. Or maybe nothing is happening and she only hears an inner voice inviting her to something great?
It is significant that the Harbinger does not come at the girl’s request. Mary, it seems, did not ask for God’s intervention in her life. She had them arranged somehow. She already had a fiancé, they probably had a place to live, and her future spouse had a profitable profession in his hand. Idyll, live not die! What more could you want? God, however, had a different idea for Miriam’s life. But one by one.
Often, when I am looking for God’s will in my life, I expect a clear and clear message. Even the tangible experience of meeting such an Angel who will tell me: do this and this, live this and that. But nothing like that happens. I hear no voice, no one appears to me. Then I start to figure out on my own and plan. Moreover, these plans make good assumptions, they make sense, and they have good prognosis. Sometimes you can still use them to serve your neighbor, so that I am not selfish… Of course, these ideas gain approval among friends and family. There are praises for having a head on my neck and just keeping it that way. So I start implementing it and start acting. After all, planning is only the beginning, and no one has succeeded in talking yet. You have to work to make your plans and dreams come true. I work hard. But God has other plans for me…
As in the lives of Mary and Joseph, God can make a good film in mine. He always turns my plans and ideas upside down. In an instant, everything collapses like a house of cards. Then a rebellion and disagreement with what is happening arise in me. And I’m trying to put everything back together myself. I save what I can … Unfortunately, it only gets worse. I run more and more from reality, in despair after lost dreams and hopes. I am not alive here and now. Family, friends and friends are relegated to the background, because what matters now is that I am so hopeless that nothing comes out in my life. Where else is there to take care of the house, people around me and their problems?
God usually comes with His answers, directions, plans when we least expect it. It manifests itself in everyday life, during everyday, simple and often boring activities. At work, studies, school, social and religious activities, but also at home. When washing dishes, floors and laundry. During family lunches and dinners, when you have to listen, what a bad son I am and how little I can do. And when in my room I cry from loneliness. Why then? Because then in a seemingly quite organized life I realize that something is wrong here. I have a job, studies, family, home etc. But something is wrong and I know it may be different. Only I tried to change it and nothing. Exactly – I tried … And now God wants to propose something else, a new life. I want to invite you to something great. And most importantly, He wants to change my life, and I don’t have to do anything.
Of course, this is revealed by the great desire for change that God puts in my heart. The characteristic of a desire is that it does not have to be fulfilled immediately, it can wait. The desire does not have to be realized immediately by me, it waits for the appropriate moment. He is waiting for favorable circumstances, favorable for people, and for God’s supernatural interventions. It is God who works in desire, not I.
Gabriel comes to Mary as a response to her great desire to be close to the Father. He invites her to a great thing. So great that it’s hard to even imagine it. He invites her to be the mother of the Savior Emmanuel, God with us, awaited by her and the entire nation of Israel. It’s a bit as if God were saying to me: listen, Wojtas, trust me and you will become the Pope. Eee yyyy – but if the disease, neither the diocesan nor the Jesuits wanted me … Father, what am I supposed to do? Of course, I do not have such desires, but for me this vision is as absurd as it is for Mary to be the mother of incarnate God. Yes, he has a fiancé, but they haven’t had sex yet! How is it going to happen? And here is the key to the whole situation. Unlike me, Mary does not ask what to do. She asks, “How will this happen to me?” She places the initiative in the hands of God. But there is also a hint of irony in this question: “Okay, you tell me such stories here, and how are you going to do it, you smarthead, because I’m not going to do anything.” This course of the conversation tells me intuition, the more that the word “Miriam” probably also has a second meaning in Greek. Namely … “to rebel.” The angel replies to her: “Relax, you don’t have to do anything, the Holy Spirit will take care of it. You just agree, I don’t want anything more from you. I just want your permission. ” Mary is completely satisfied with this answer of the Angel. He gives her peace of heart and security. Mary accepts God’s plan for her life. The sentence: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38) can also be translated as: “I am the slave of the Lord” – this is the literal translation – “let it be done to me according to your plan”. Mary changes her tone from a little ironic, rebellious to unconditional consent to God’s plan. Moreover, it gives God action. From that moment on, Mary is only a tool (a holy instrument!), A vessel that God fills and uses. The end of the story is well known to all of us. Mary gave birth to the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ, who gave his life for me and for you. And it changed the fate of the world forever.
It was the same in my life. God has given me the desire to bring the Good News to people. He gave me a great desire to serve His glory. Of course, at the beginning I wanted to implement them myself and nothing came of it. I was not admitted to the seminary and to the Jesuits. I wanted to play around with it, but I was just getting more and more despairing. I was running away from my everyday life as a student, son, friend, but also from my reality, that is my illness. It got worse and worse. Once, however, it dawned on me and I accepted it as it was. Of course, I still missed something and wanted more of my life. God has placed an even greater desire for service in my heart. Then came the Word inviting us to bring hope. This time God’s offer was based on what is, which is, despite my illness, I’m doing quite well. God said, “Show others that sickness isn’t over!” And you know what my answer was? “God, good, but you act! I have no idea what to do and how! ” Time passed and I had an opportunity to describe my stays in the hospital and my illness. From this the book “There is Hope, So Life Worth” was born – at the moment almost 2 thousand. downloads. Later, together with Ola and Adam, we set up fan pages on Facebook – now over a thousand clicks “I like it”. We turned from a social action into an association, and soon into a community. Today we have almost 20 members. There is also a large group of our supporters. As part of our activities, I travel with my friends to many places in Poland, conducting workshops and retreats. Amazing thing, I found my calling, mission and meaning in life, and it only started with being here and now and desire! Desires that not me, but God has been fulfilling for two years!
God invites each of us to such intimacy with himself. God invites each of us to do great things. To be someone special, someone who has an impact on the fate of other people. He invites each of us to go on a journey with him. And he doesn’t need rorats, retreats, days of recollection, radio plays, best preachers, etc. For that, he doesn’t need our action. He does not need our efforts to change our appearance, behavior, character traits, etc. He only needs one thing: ourselves! He needs our approval for His plans. For this, we need our daily awareness. He needs us to be here and now so that we can be there and then. He needs our faithful fulfillment of the state’s calling, responsibilities at work, in college, at school, and at home.
Give him a chance to reveal himself in your desires and let those desires live. And don’t act, but let Him work in you! Do not rush anything, just hold on, keep your ears and eyes open! The Lord will come and reveal His glory to you!
The Lord is near!
Wojtek
Retreat Considerations
Number of views:
3
It was the same in my life. God has given me the desire to bring the Good News to people. He gave me a great desire to serve His glory. Of course, at the beginning I wanted to implement them myself and nothing came of it. I was not admitted to the seminary and to the Jesuits. I wanted to play around with it, but I was just getting more and more despairing. I was running away from my everyday life as a student, son, friend, but also from my reality, that is my illness. It got worse and worse. Once, however, it dawned on me and I accepted it as it was. Of course, I still missed something and wanted more of my life. God has placed an even greater desire for service in my heart. Then came the Word inviting us to bring hope. This time God’s offer was based on what is, which is, despite my illness, I’m doing quite well. God said, “Show others that sickness isn’t over!” And you know what my answer was? “God, good, but you act! I have no idea what to do and how! ” Time passed and I had an opportunity to describe my stays in the hospital and my illness. From this the book “There is Hope, So Life Worth” was born – at the moment almost 2 thousand. downloads. Later, together with Ola and Adam, we set up fan pages on Facebook – now over a thousand clicks “I like it”. We turned from a social action into an association, and soon into a community. Today we have almost 20 members. There is also a large group of our supporters. As part of our activities, I travel with my friends to many places in Poland, conducting workshops and retreats. Amazing thing, I found my calling, mission and meaning in life, and it only started with being here and now and desire! Desires that not me, but God has been fulfilling for two years!
God invites each of us to such intimacy with himself. God invites each of us to do great things. To be someone special, someone who has an impact on the fate of other people. He invites each of us to go on a journey with him. And he doesn’t need rorats, retreats, days of recollection, radio plays, best preachers, etc. For that, he doesn’t need our action. He does not need our efforts to change our appearance, behavior, character traits, etc. He only needs one thing: ourselves! He needs our approval for His plans. For this, we need our daily awareness. He needs us to be here and now so that we can be there and then. He needs our faithful fulfillment of the state’s calling, responsibilities at work, in college, at school, and at home.
Give him a chance to reveal himself in your desires and let live those desires. And don’t act, but let Him work in you! Do not rush anything, just hold on, keep your ears and eyes open! The Lord will come and reveal His glory to you!
The Lord is near!
Wojtek
Retreat Considerations
Number of views:
3
