First week of Advent offers chance to reflect on how we wait upon the Lord
As you might be able to deduce from her name, Sister Anunciata Grace, DCJ, has a special devotion to Our Lady at the Annunciation.
The Carmelite Sister of the Divine Heart of Jesus is especially drawn to meditating on the Blessed Mother’s pregnancy as the Church begins the season of Advent, she said. One of the virtues that Mary shows us is patience, as she waited for nine months for the birth of baby Jesus, growing in her womb.
In her book “The Reed of God,” author Caryll Houselander wrote that Jesus also wants to be conceived in our hearts and be born in and of our lives, Sister Anunciata Grace said.
“I invite you, as I reflect this Advent as well, to wait upon the Lord in those little moments of everyday life that seem mundane, because that’s exactly where He wants to meet us,” she said.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux speaks of three comings of Christ: the coming of Jesus at His birth, the final coming at the end of the time and a “middle coming,” where Jesus meets us here and now.
As we “wait upon” the Lord, in the sense of passing time, we don’t just sit by passively — we also “wait upon” Him in the sense of serving His every need, Sister Anunciata Grace said.
“Just like Our Lady, our Lord wants to be conceived in our own hearts and born into the world in every moment,” she said. “So perhaps our challenge this Advent, as He meets us on our way, is to enter into that and do everything waiting upon Him and in love for Him, knowing that He meets us there and encounters us there, and wants to be formed in and of our lives in the most mundane and the most exciting things.”
Growing in patience
As we seek to grow in the virtue of patience during the Advent season, Sister Anunciata Grace’s best tip is to pause and call God’s presence to mind in the midst of our daily work. Uniting our days to Christ give us the peace and strength to be patient in our waiting, she said.
“Calling Him to mind is going to make it so much easier to do what you’re doing lovingly and for Him, with that attitude of patience, than if we just forget Him and if we’re just doing it quickly, which is such a tendency for all of us,” she said.
A Bible verse for prayer
“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7-8).
Advent: On the Way with the Archdiocese of St. Louis
Watch a video of Sister Anunciata Grace’s Advent reflection below.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis will be sharing video reflections and more throughout the four weeks of Advent. To watch the videos, follow the Archdiocese of St. Louis on social media:
Facebook: Archdiocese of St. Louis
Instagram: @arch_stl
Read the St. Louis Review’s Advent stories at stlouisreview.com/topic/advent.
