Daily Thought For December 5, 2021

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 Joyful Preparation!


Lectio

Luke 3:1–6

Meditatio

  “[T]he word of God came to John … in the desert.”

It’s not surprising that God’s word came to John in the desert. Scripture tells us that Israel’s early history abounded with desert experiences.

Abraham receives God’s promise of descendants out in the open, beneath a sky strewn with stars. Sleeping in a barren landscape, with a stone for his pillow, Jacob experiences the Lord’s glory and reassuring presence as he set out on his journey to Haran. Moses first encounters God when a voice calls to him from a bush blazing on Mount Sinai. In that same desert God later molds the Israelites into a people.

Desert experiences are also part of the Church’s heritage. The seasons of Advent and Lent remind us of this.

I hope that during this Advent each of us will have an opportunity to create within ourselves our own “desert,” where we can meet the Lord and walk with him. In that desert we can share our concerns and his, ask for light and guidance, savor Jesus’ presence, and deepen our awareness that he is the “reason for the season.”

But what about the frenetic pre-Christmas bustle? God can reach us through that, too. He may speak through a child, a spouse, a friend, a colleague, a sales clerk.… He may communicate through circumstances that impel us to reassess our values and priorities, or through the silent cries of the needy poor and neglected elderly.

Advent is one of the “strong times” in the Church year when God’s presence may be more intensely felt and his will more clearly understood. I want to be alert—ready to respond.

What am I being called to do this Advent? To perform special acts of kindness? To sacrifice my own preferences for the sake of others? Or something else?

Oratio

O Emmanuel, the expected of the nations and their Savior, draw me close to you during this Advent. Help me to experience your gentle presence. Enable me to follow your inspirations and share your love and peace with others. Through me, may my family, friends, and acquaintances grow to appreciate more deeply the true meaning of this holy season. May we all see beyond blinking holiday lights to the radiance of the star.

Contemplatio

“And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Daughters of Saint Paul. (2009). Advent Grace: Daily Gospel Reflections (pp. 28–29). Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media.

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