A Season of Dreaming
"If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces ... never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. That's the beauty of being alive ... We can always start all over again. Enjoy God's amazing opportunities bestowed on us. Have faith in Him always” (St. Bernadette of Lourdes).
Women of Mission: Following the Star
The Advent and Christmas seasons are full of journeys. At the beginning of Advent, we read that Mary, soon after conceiving Jesus, traveled what must have been a very physically challenging journey to stay with her cousin Elizabeth. Then, when we celebrate Christmas, we read about Mary and Joseph’s (again, likely very difficult) journey to Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to her Son. Finally, at Epiphany, we read about the Wise Men’s journey to meet their Savior.
This year has been a journey. Every year is, but 2020, especially, has felt more arduous and demanding than most that we have seen. Traveling through the last 12 months has left many of us feeling weary, disconnected, and distracted.
However, Advent is a gift, a time for us to remember our mission and why we are traveling this journey as Christians seeking a closer union with our Savior.
As we travel through Advent and begin 2021, allow your eyes and heart to be redirected and transformed by the light of Christ. As Mary, Joseph, and the Wise Men followed the star of Bethlehem, let us focus ourselves this Advent on Jesus, our true star, our hope, our light, and our God.
Catholics: Called to Greatness
I’m only a year out of college, but I have already experienced how easy it is to become comfortable with small dreams. As a child, I fantasized about growing up to become Jessie the cowgirl from “Toy Story.” Shortly after my Pixar phase, I dreamed of dancing across an arena stage with a bedazzled microphone as a tween idol pop star. Then, I came into my own in high school, when I imagined myself in ironed power suits fighting sex-trafficking, before I landed where I am now: yearning to be an art director for a magazine.
Here I am, so early in my career, feeling the existential dread of how easy it is to lose focus on my bigger goals. Monday quickly becomes Friday, March quickly becomes November, and like a tortoise that has been flipped onto its back, I find myself flailing my arms and legs, moving nowhere because I fail to live day to day with intention and fail to focus on how the present day could help me reach my ultimate goals.
I know I am being dramatic. I know I am young, and goals and dreams take time to accomplish. But I also know that God does not want to wait on my dreams (or you on yours). We are not called to abide in mediocrity and comfort, as Pope Benedict XVI said; as Catholics, we are made for and called to greatness.
For some things, the answer is clear: Create a better routine, invest in relationships, maintain a prayer life, etc. We understand that hard work makes up a large portion of our ability to achieve our dreams, but what about dreams that have died, plans that have failed to produce fruit, prayers that have been seemingly left unanswered? How do you dream big and pray big in the face of rejection?
The Resurrection of a Dream
The Christian life is understood by death and resurrection.
Lazarus’ rising from the dead is a great example. Jesus, knowing his close friend would die, still took his time to reach Bethany. Jesus allowed death to occur for the greater good of performing a miracle.
I recently listened to a podcast episode that used this Gospel story to ask: What is your Lazarus? What did you ask God to show up for, that he didn’t show up for on your time — but for which you still have hope that he will fulfill his promise and work things out for your good?
This question can bleed into any aspect of life, but within the professional realm, it begs me to pray bolder, dream bigger, and seek to really understand God’s purpose in my work.
Am I discouraged by application rejections? Am I unhappy in my job but feel paralyzed that I won’t find something better? Do I believe that people and opportunities, not God, are the keys to my success? Even when my goals are put on pause, do I believe the Creator is working to provide me with opportunities that will fulfill my desires?
For this season of Advent, God invites us to sit in hopeful expectation. Advent comes from Latin and means “to come.” It puts us in a period of waiting for our Messiah, mimicking the thousands of years the Jewish people waited for a savior. During Advent, let us wait — but let us hope, with the promise that God has big plans for us and our lives; that he places desires on our hearts for a reason that will not go unfulfilled; and that we are a people of the resurrection, which includes the resurrection of all the prayers on our hearts.
Marissa Vonesh is a recent graduate from the University of Miami. She currently works as the lead graphic designer for Moment magazine in Washington, D.C. A native to Northern Arizona and adventure junkie, she is no stranger to hiking, spontaneous road trips, and midnight adoration sessions. Visit her work at marissavonesh.com, or connect with her on Instagram.