“The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,” but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 PT 3: 9)
Our Lord loves us; He supports us, helps us, and–is patient: “not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Whenever we are in trouble, in temptations, or just feeling so weak, we can always put our trust in Him—He will help us always.
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: All flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst. No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, while from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: ‘This is the way; walk in it,’ when you would turn to the right or to the left.” (IS 30: 20-21)
Our Lord takes care of us. He “will give us the bread we need and the water for which we thirst.” And, what is even more important, He will give us the right directions when we “turn to right or to the left”: “This is the way; walk in it.”
“The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King; he it is who will save us.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.” (EPH 1: 3-4)
We were chosen “before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him,” and Our Lady is an example of this. We will follow Her, because God the Father “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.” Our Lady will do everything to help us “to be holy.”
“Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (MT 7: 24)
Listening to His words, especially daily, is a very important step in our spiritual lives. When we add “acts on them,” this helps us to improve the foundations of our relationships with our families and friends. When Jesus is the rock of our family, we will survive all difficulties.
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call him while he is near.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.” (IS 25: 8)
Our tears are important to Our Lord; He knows what happened to us; He knows our stories and our difficulties. He knows because He loves, and He “will wipe away the tears from all faces.”
“Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea.” (IS 11: 9)
This is the vision of Isaiah, and we are part of this. We, who believe, who reflect every day on Our Lord’s words, who day by day are “filled with knowledge of the Lord,” and with us our children, friends and neighbors, are those referred to: “He will enlighten the eyes of his servants.”
“Behold, our Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” (IS 2: 3)
We can start every day listening to Him, so “we may walk in his path.” Only Our Lord knows our future and our past, and He can instruct us about how and where to go. Advent is a great opportunity to start again our daily meetings with His words.
“Come and save us, LORD our God; Let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!'” (MK 13: 35-37)
We have started a new Advent, a special time for preparing us for Christmas. And the first word for us is: “Watch!” Every day is a perfect occasion to love more, to be more gentle, more respectful, more a giver of self, the one who remembers about rituals and the importance of our inner and outer dialog. Our Lord is coming also in our spouses. Watch!
“Show us Lord, your love; and grant us your salvation.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” (LK 21: 34-36)
It is so interesting that, for Our Lord, becoming “drowsy from carousing and drunkenness” is equal to “the anxieties of daily life.” This is a place of our daily battle—keeping our hearts focused on Him; “be vigilant at all times and pray.” The strength comes from Him.
“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (LK 21: 29-33)
Whenever we have difficult times, we should remember: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Our Lord is with us every day and in every moment, and He will take care of us. When we keep His words in our hearts, He is with us.
“Stand erect and raise your hands because your redemption is at hand.” (Gospel Acclamation)
