The Window of Hope

This is the window of "Hope." It is found at Clos Luce, a chateau in the town of Amboise, France, where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life. This chateau was made available to Leonardo by a king who wanted to offer the artist a place in which he could be free to dream and to work. Leonardo was a visionary who was able to imagine a future no one else could yet see. He was a keen observer of nature and an inventor who was far ahead of his time. He also had a rich spiritual imagination, often reflected in his paintings.

This week, we are invited to light one Advent candle and spend some time at the window of hope, daydreaming a bit about the future that looks impossible, from today's vantage point.

What words or images come into your imagination when you think about a future that has been transformed, as a result of God's intervention? What does HOPE look like to you?

There is a song from the Taize community that can be used to settle our souls and quiet our minds. Try saying or singing these words (the tune can be found on p. 2157 of Sing the Faith), repeat the words several times.....

Come and fill our hearts with your Hope. You alone, O Lord, are holy.
Come and fill our hearts with your Hope, Alleluia.

Now, perhaps, you are ready to offer a prayer, asking God to open the window and come down....that you may be aware of God's presence in your life today, that you may be able to move toward the future that you are imagining, that you may respond to someone in need, around you, that you may be surprised with a blessing, today...that you may have HOPE.

Advent blessings,

Cheryl