Fourth Sunday of Advent
Give the gift of listening
Prayer to guide us through Advent
Holy One, Essence of Kindness,
each day of this Advent Season
guide us to your love through messages of hope,
easy smiles, opened doors, unexpected generosity,
words of understanding,
forgiving hearts and other signs of human kindness.
Help us to recognise your dwelling amongst us
(Joyce Rupp: Return to the Root. 2021. 225: adapted).
Good listening is usually associated with attentiveness given for support and comfort when people talk about their troubles and misfortunes. Concentrated presence certainly does this by softening life’s blows, but good listening also contributes to joy … we provide added delight by our undivided attention, whether this be with a young child tugging at us to hear his playground story or an
elder relating her prized memories. Deep listening is more than hearing with our ears, but taking in what is revealed in any given moment with our body, our being, our heart
(Joyce Rupp: Return to the Root. 2021. 155)
Approaching, speaking, listening, looking at, coming to know and understand one another, and to find common ground: all these things are summed up in the one word ‘dialogue’ … unlike disagreement and conflict, persistent and courageous dialogue does not make headlines, but quietly helps the world to live much better than we imagine.
(Fratelli Tutti #198)
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Reflections
Where can you give the gift of listening in this Advent season?
How can hospitality make it onto your Christmas giving list?
