Fire of the Holy Spirit

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As a Dominican, I too have learned to love Advent.  The lights of Advent are especially encouraging.  Since I live in the northern hemisphere the sunlight is progressively less and less until the solstice, when we again can look forward to more and more of the sun’s light.

Meantime we have the custom of lighting another candle each week, and neighbors all around are lighting the dark with green, red and blue lights.

In morning prayer in our household (which also includes two more people on a free conference call), we read the Gospel for the coming Sunday. As we read the Gospel for this week and lit one candle, we read that we are baptized with fire.  We send one another out to be the fire of the Holy Spirit to give light to our world.

We will also send one of our prayer group members to be with the Water Protectors at Standing Rock this week.  She joins thousands of others who are also on fire with the courage of the Great Spirit.

How are each of us sent out to be fire this week?

Joan Duerst, OP
Madison, WI

Photos thanks to Julie Schwab OP who stood at Standing Rock with others, November 12, 2016

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