Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
For ages, the people of Israel waited to see the coming of the messiah. This messiah was to lead Israel to freedom, to lead all the nations to the Temple to worship, and he was to bring healing to those who suffer. In Jesus is that messiah. He has indeed come and set people free, brought worship to the true Temple, and heals those who suffer. We are also faced with the fact this isn’t complete. There are still wars, sickness, and faithlessness. How do we respond?
By both our baptism and our chrismation (confirmation), we are specially configured to Christ. In the last few days, we have explored what it means to be another Christ. Today, that configuration continues. Our entire lives must work toward this. This also means to literally be Christ for others. If you see someone hungry, as Christ did in the Gospel, do you feed them? If you see someone suffering from illness, as Christ did in the Gospel, do you work to heal them? We must be active participants in the unfolding of Christ’s work in the world if we desire to see change.
Evaluate your lifestyle, is it really shaped to be just like Jesus? If it is not, what small way—or even significant ways—can you change?
Reflection by Fr. Etienne Huard, OSB
Posted in Articles for Advent, Daily Reflections