Advent is a time to break routine. As we prepare for the birth of Jesus, we have the opportunity to examine our lives, consider the world around us, and ask if we are really satisfied with the ways things are. For me, the answer every year is a resounding “no.” Every year, I regret not taking up opportunities to reach out to those in need, I mourn the systems of injustice that place so many in great need, and I find myself trapped in seemingly endless cycles of self-defeating thought patterns… The routine is not good enough.
Looking with only my own eyes and the limited perspective of my routine, things seem completely helpless. But when I can pray with God’s perspective and see how God has responded to humanity’s greatest need, I am filled with hope. I do not know what God has in store, but I know that God also is not satisfied to accept our routine as good enough. If God chose the Incarnation to save humanity from sin and death, then I must look at the world in a new way. I have to look for the small, unexpected signs that God is still at work, that God’s promise of love and redemption has not changed.
What routines are you being shaken out of? How is God inviting you to reconsider yourself, others, and the world this season and in the year ahead?
--Fr. Brian Engelhart SJ
To read more on how Fr. Engelhart uses the Spiritual Exercises to shake up his own routine, access the complete article by clicking on the link below.
Image source: https://www.sahilbloom.com/newsletter/how-to-get-out-of-a-rut
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