Reflection for 4th Wednesday of Advent
You, my child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways. Lk 1:76
The scripture today turns to the birth of John the Baptist, who had a very clear mission in the plan of salvation: point out the messiah. Shortly after his birth, his father Zechariah sings what is commonly known as the Canticle of Zechariah, essentially spelling how:
You, my child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins…
Even before his birth, John sensed his mission as he ‘leapt in the womb’ of Elizabeth when Mary with the newly conceived child came near.
What is my mission? A year ago, I had some certainty and confidence in how to answer that question. With all of the changes that have resulted from the pandemic, it’s a question I need to revisit. The changes in behavior that I thought were temporary nine month’s ago now appear to be permanent: fewer people going to church or the gym, more restrictions visiting hospitals and prisons, less face to face networking and more Zoom… just to name a few. How does this impact what I thought was my purpose and mission as a director of a retreat center, a husband and father, and a minister?
Our pastor Father Jim talked about John the Baptist’s mission a couple of weeks ago in his homily. He suggested that we reflect upon our own personal mission in the eyes of God. It is certainly a timely activity as we get ready to celebrate the birth of the Savior and a New Year. Here are the steps he outlined:
Developing a Personal Mission Statement
Pray. Seek guidance and wisdom. You were put on the earth for a reason. Ask for clarity upon which parts of your life God would like you to focus.
Make three columns and list:
- Your roles. Ask yourself, “Who am I to others?” and where you invest most of your time and energy : mother, volunteer, worker, friend…
- Your gifts, talents and experiences. Ask yourself, “What makes me unique? What do I enjoy doing? What am I good at?
- Your dreams. In this list, dream big. Write a novel. Live in another country for a year. Found a mission that helps the homeless.
Prioritize your list. Highlight the more important, but don’t discard the rest. Don’t skip over areas because of personal guilt or neglect – simply give those regrets to God and ask for grace to overcome.
Create some mission statements. Look for ways to weave your gifts and dreams into your roles. Draft a few statements that begin to define God’s plan for you, such as: “Using my gift of encouragement, I want to create a positive work environment where I and my colleagues can grow and prosper.”
Each year, I begin a new journal. On the front page I list similar mission oriented statements and goals. For a whole year, I see them each time I visit my journal. At the end of the year and the beginning of the next, I do more of a formal review of the previous year and add or change as I draw upon a year’s experiences to better understand my role in God’s plan. It helps me see progress and growth, albeit painfully slow at times. It’s been a good activity for me – maybe something you might want to give a try.
If all of this talk of mission, priorities and goals seems too geeky, simply complete the phrase that Zechariah used when describing the life of John the Baptist, only turn the words around to God speaking to you: “You my child shall be ___”