A new prayer series from the international Society of Jesus seeks to engage more deeply with the signs of the Holy Spirit in today’s world.
Earlier this year, the Society of Jesus announced its four Universal Apostolic Preferences, which aimed to unite all Jesuits and companions in ministry around specific areas that are vital for our world today.
This Advent prayer series offers the opportunity to integrate these preferences into our prayer, as we listen and await with hope the coming of Christ. The introduction to the resource notes:
The UAPs are part of our own process of renewal. They will become important ways into our processes of discernment. If they are to touch us in these ways, it would be good if we could first let them become part of our prayer. The liturgical season of Advent gives us a natural opportunity for this. With Lent, it marks out a time when the Church desires to prepare herself to enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s incarnation and his work of redemption. In Advent we can let our prayer illuminate the UAPs, asking that we may be open to whatever graces of renewal, insight and understanding God wishes to offer us.
The resource offers points for individual and community reflection, covering:
Week one (UAP#3): To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future.
Week two (UAP#2): To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice
Week three (UAP#4): To collaborate in the care of our common home.
Week four (UAP#1): To show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment.
Click here and scroll down to ‘Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) & Advent Prayer’ to download a PDF containing the suggested reflections for each week.