Thursday of the Third Week in Advent
As we sing the entrance antiphon of today’s liturgy, we hear the words, “You, O Lord, are close… (Cf. Ps 119:151-152). That has more than one meaning. Yes, we realize the increasing intensity of the readings in our liturgies and know that Christmas is now coming very soon. But it also describes another kind of closeness that we hear in the first reading from Isaiah. (54:1-10) The prophet compares God’s love for us to that of a husband for his wife. “He who has become your husband is your Maker…The Lord calls you back like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit.” With such tenderness, he expresses his love and mercy for us: “…with enduring love I take pity on you, says the Lord, your redeemer…My love shall never leave you nor my covenant of peace be shaken…” The responsory is a joyous acclamation of thanksgiving for this unmerited gift of love: “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me” (Ps 30:2a). “You changed my mourning into dancing; O Lord, my God, forever will I give you thanks.”
The gospel passage from St. Luke (7:24-30) describes the attitude that we must have in order to prepare hearts to receive this tremendous gift of our God: “All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God; but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves.” It is in the communion antiphon that we discover the manner of living that we must adopt in order to prepare ourselves for Christ’s entrance into our hearts: “Let us live justly and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of our great God.” (Ti 2:12-13)
Prayer for today: God our Maker and Redeemer, we praise you for having loved us with such tenderness from the day of our birth. Help us to live justly and devoutly in this world that our hearts may be prepared to receive your greatest gift of love, your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Reflection by Br. Michael Marcotte, OSB
Posted in Articles for Advent, Articles for Advent, Daily Reflections