O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!- Isaiah 2:5 Advent is a beautiful time of silence, patience, and prayer. We prepare for Christ, the Light (John 8:12), to come to us in the darkness. We prepare for the fullness of life–zoe in Greek–that Jesus, the Life (John 14:6) offers us: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). We light the…
Christ is nearly here! Just a few more days and our arms shall be filled with the Christ child. In today’s reading, we hear of Jesus’s first encounter with humankind. While carrying Jesus in her womb, Mary journeys to the outskirts of Jerusalem, to the hill country of Judah. In the Old Testament, the ark of the covenant—the most holy and powerful object in Israel—traveled through this very hill country on its way to Jerusalem.…
Rejoice, dear friends, rejoice! For Christ is on His way. Prepare the path, make it smooth and flat. Rejoice again, I say! Rejoice, dear ones, rejoice! Put cares and fears away. Make your kindness known to one and all. Rejoice with me today! Rejoice for Christ is near! At His feet we soon will fall. His love and peace shall guard our hearts. Rejoice, give thanks, ye all! Based on Luke 3:4-5, Philippians 4:4-7
One of the central themes of the Bible is exile and return. It goes like this: God calls His people, Israel, to holiness. They succeed at first, but then they fail through sin. Their brokenness leads them to hide from God and turn away from their relationship, leading to exile. But God seeks them out and they repent, turning back to Him. God brings them home to Him and the sadness of their exile is…
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. – Luke 21:27 Advent is here! While the days are getting shorter and darker each day, with the increasing darkness comes the promise of brighter days: “but for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Malachi 4:2). Sun of Justice is one of the names of Jesus. In…
Fourth Sunday of Advent “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”– Mary, The Annunciation, Luke 1:38 Yes, Lord, may it be done to me according to Your Word (Luke 1:38). Yes, Lord, I will follow You no matter where You lead me. Shepherd me and I will be Your beloved sheep (Psalm 23:1) Yes, Lord, I accept all the successes You will bring me.…
In the desert, prepare the way of the Lord! – Isaiah 40:3 & Mark 1:3 Christmas is coming, and it’s time to prepare! It’s time for planning gifts, special food, decorations…the list goes on. It’s also time to prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming. Repentance, or turning away from old behaviors that do not glorify God or serve us, is a key way to focus on preparing our hearts during Advent. We can vow to…
First Sunday of Advent “Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.” – Isaiah 64:7 Imagine a clay sculpture that strikingly bears a resemblance to the person it was sculpted after. Now imagine that the sculpture is damaged in an earthquake. It toppled and fell onto the floor. It isn’t entirely broken, for it still bears resemblance to the model.…
On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of peace on our Advent wreaths. Notice that we continue to light each of the other candles, representing hope, faith, and joy. None of these virtues are extinguished as we progress toward Christmas; they all work together in our hearts and build upon one another. For joy and peace are fruits of the Holy Spirit; they spring forth from faith, hope, and charity. When we…
This is Gaudete Sunday, the day when we focus on rejoicing in the coming of Christ. In our first reading, Isaiah tells us that in the presence of the Lord, even the desert will “bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice in joyful song” (Is 35:2). But let’s be honest, do you feel more like you’re in a dry desert than an oasis right now? Is it hard to be truly joyful in this moment? If…