Advent Retreat: Promise Given…Hope Fulfilled

Advent Retreat: Promise Given…Hope Fulfilled
with Sister Nancy Sylvester, IHM

Wednesday, December 4

Advent anticipates the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus’ birth and the hope of the second coming. This hour of prayer and reflection draws on moments in Scripture to help us awaken to what promises are in us and how we can foster them to fulfillment.

Watch the recording

Resources:

• Journey-Faith in an Entangled World by Nancy Sylvester IHM 
  • Available for purchase at Amazon 
• Please visit the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue’s website: www.iccdinstitute.org and click join to receive periodic reflections and updates. 
• New book from Global Sisters Report: Wisdom from the Global Sisterhood: Contemporary Reflections by Catholic Sisters
  • Available for purchase at Amazon and Liturgical Press.
• Song used for reflection: A Woman. Songwriters: Sarah Macintosh / Ellie Holcomb / Ann Voskamp
  © 2021 Capitol CMG Genesis; Full Heart Music; Integrity Worship Music;  Integrity's Praise! Music Event license #22318472.
  • Available for purchase at Amazon, at Apple Music, and more.

Responses 
(As written, edited only for clarity) 

• My promise for a family member with memory problems is the be supportive, not blaming; to be a guide, not a pedant; to be patient, not anxiety-provoking.
• Courageous fearless love
• Make Me known.
• My promise is JOY. Given the state of our country & world
• Learn to speak my truth and share the good news
• Goodness - God and HOPE will overcome the darkness throughout this world.
• The promise of Christ’s love and presence here and now and forever.
• My promise to promise is to be braver with my poems. I ended this Advent's Listening to Mary prayer poem (Catholic Literary Arts Society) with my general resolution and request to Mary: Stay close, teach me to hear through the noise
• Presence, listening, accompaniment of those I encounter.
• Loving presence of God in my womanhood
• Non-violent, joyful, humble. servant, courageous fearless reconciling love
• Claim the gifts of wisdom, passion, hope - and share them
• Commit to my creative gifts from God for God 100%
• Let God come alive in us and be true to who you are called and made to be.
• Jesus the Christ, the mystic, has given me a vision of the future "Christian Community" that encourages being contemplative activists.
• More than ever, this is a time to stand together and speak the truth in Love. It is not a time to be silent. With so much negativity in the air, let's charge it with the positive sense of Hope.
• Speak honestly about how love “wins” and not too lose hope! 
• I am birthing the gift of connection
• IMAGINE!!!
• Be a messenger of HOPE!!!!
• To listen to Jesus call me by name and claim the promise the I am His.
• Courage for the future and whatever it holds.
• My search is to be hopeful in situations that seem hopeless and as I tune into the hope of Mary, Elizabeth, I will be able to be an agent of hope...in community and in my ministry of Advocacy. The challenges are great... but so are those who see beyond...like Mary of Magdala
• Promise to stand with the marginalized especially when they are attacked.
• More involvement with homeless and immigrants.
• Gift of encounter
• Be a beneficial presence in the world
• My promise is to be a loving, faithful companion to my husband who is facing a major health issue with many unknowns to come. I pray for the grace to be like Mary of Nazareth who joined Elizabeth during her pregnancy.
• Nudge a few others to share their gifts in our common effort for justice.
• Listening
• Being joyful and share this with others
• Praying for Defiant Courage to be the real me
• I have the sense of God in my life, He is walking with me
• My promise is that the things that I've buried for so long are God's gifts transformed in the new life and love of Jesus. They are now beautiful, loved, nurtured and good.
• Stand with the poor and immigrants for whatever comes next
• Believe in myself and my abilities even as I cross the 80's line.
• Deepening of my life with Hope and a love of jesus and to know myself to my best.
• Let the Spirit come out of the tomb!!!
• God clearly says, "TRUST me, no matter what!"
• I have received the promise of God faithful love and this is what I will speak to the end of my life.
• Speak about God's overflowing kindness to me everyday
• I would never think that Joy is what I am given to share. Yet, that’s  what God is giving me at this Advent time in the midst of all that we are experiencing in our country & world these days. Joy can lift our spirits in the midst of pain. 
• To share the light and love which is coming alive within me
• Once I hear God’s voice, I must act.
• I am beginning to speak out, though unpopular concept, finding that my truth is also the truth of others.
• My gift would like to be acceptance of imperfection for all of us in pursuit of doing more to repair the world.
• Deeply in love with her beloved- fearless and courageous to speak the truth of her heart
• Courage to keep faith sharing group meet
• Bring peace
• God has called me to be a woman priest, and I promise to live my yes. 
• My promise has hope for the future in humanizing “transgender.”
• My promise is hope and love. My country is passing through difficult moments. people really need to hope in God's love and care.
• Birthing the future by openness to alignment with the Universe which is birthing Christ as the evolutionary journey calls us.
• I have times of nearness and emptiness of God’s presence.  His absence is frightening me. But I know His absence is as real as his presence. Thank you, my Jesus. this is His promise to me and I in promise tell Him that I will love him more and more
• Being a positive presence in our world
• To walk into tomorrow KNOWING OUR GOD’S PRESENCE

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