Thursday 7 December
Saint Ambrose, Bishop, Doctor Thursday of the 1st week of Advent First reading - Ephesians 3:8-12 “…this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed.” The revelation is through the proclamation of the infinite treasure of Christ and the dispensation of this infinite treasure is through the Church. The comprehensive God’s wisdom according to the plan from all eternity decided that the Church becomes the instrument of distribution of the graces in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is why in the Church we can approach God in complete confidence through our faith in Jesus Christ. This plan of God, His incarnation through which the infinite treasure of Christ is revealed and the dispensation of these riches through the Church become the point of confidence in God through faith in Jesus. Let’s reflect: How much faith I have in approaching God in complete confidence?
Wednesday 6 December
Wednesday of the 1st week of Advent Saint Nicholas, Bishop First reading - Isaiah 25:6-10 This is a beautiful description about the change the Lord brought about with His presence in the world, with His incarnation. He became the host of a banquet where all peoples are invited, without exceptions. He offered the best food, the Eucharist. He removes the mourning veil covering each person. He destroyed the death by His resurrection. His presence is personal. He wipes the tears from every cheek. He also takes away any shame. This wonderful presence of the Lord is what the incarnation gifted us. So as the Prophet Isaiah says, “See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped. We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us;”. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize that the Lord wipes away the tears from my cheek?
Tuesday 5 December
Tuesday of the 1st week of Advent First reading - Isaiah 11:1-10 The Prophet is speaking of the Messianic time. Very specific feature of this is the lack of cruelty and enmity which seem normal according to our standards. The Prophet explains it, “The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid, calf and lion feed together, with a little boy to lead them”. Everything seems strange and even impossible. It goes even deeper. “The cow and the bear make friends, their young lie down together”. And it does not stop there. Even we see each one behaves completely different; the lion eats straw like the ox and the child puts his hand in the cobra’s hole and it does not bite. The Prophet explains the reason: “They do no hurt, no harm, on all my holy mountain, for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters swell the sea”. No one hurts the other in the holy mountain, in the presence of the Lord because the hearts are filled with the knowledge of the Lord. The heart is filled in a very special way. It is like the waters that swell the sea! It is abundance and active. The knowledge which the presence of the Lord brings to our heart. The Lord becomes a presence in our heart. He fills our being! Let’s reflect: How much is my heart filled with the presence of the Lord?
Monday 4 December
Monday of the 1st week of Advent Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor First reading - Isaiah 2:1-5 This mediation is very important it teaches the way to bring peace into the world stopping all wars and conflicts. The key is the last sentence. “Let us walk in the light of the Lord”. When we start walking in the light of the Lord everything changes. We will hammer our swords into ploughshares and our spears into sickles. We will not lift sword against each other, and we will not train ourselves in fighting. We will turn every occasion to hate the other into an occasion to love and do good, every occasion to speak bad into an opportunity to speak good. Because we walk in the light of the Lord and not in the light of our selfishness. To walk in the light of the Lord, we must learn to accept the authority of the Lord over us. This we must learn from the mountain of the Lord, in the Temple of God. That means, we learn it from prayer and from the Word of God. Let’s reflect: Am I walking in the light of the Lord or in the light of my selfishness?