“Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.”
~ Isaiah 35:4-6
Dear Friend,
What is your deepest longing? That’s the question I’ve been exploring with you these past few weeks of Advent.
Perhaps it’s having more time to spend with the people you love the most: family, friends, fellow volunteers who are making the world a better place. Longing can also be a desire for healing, for health, or just peace of mind. I think about the gospel stories of the blind who want to see and the lame who want to walk. We all have longings. So what are you asking God for during Advent? What do you really need?
Only you can answer these questions. But once you do, why not ask God to help you find the way, keeping in mind the season of prayer we are in. The word “Advent” doesn’t only mean “arrival” or “a coming toward” in Latin. The Romans used the word “Adventus” to refer to the glorious entry of an emperor into his imperial city. On Christmas Day, we will welcome the arrival of our king who is both God and man—fully human, fully divine. Advent is how we prepare for the arrival of our Savior.
Friend, this is what I believe: at the root of all our longings is a desire to be in God’s presence all the time… the desire to experience a love that is divine and pure and everlasting. That is the gift we have in the Christ Child. Thank God, Christmas is almost here.
As a deer longs for running streams
so my soul is thirsting for You my God.
You are my heart’s deepest longing
for only in You do I find rest.
Help me, Lord, to prepare a dwelling place
fit to hold the King of Kings.
Close my eyes to the passing glories
and false lights of this world
that I might recognize Your presence
in everyone I meet, especially the poor,
the lonely, the elderly, and the oppressed.
Help me hear Your voice in scripture
and recognize Your gifts that fill
my life with everything that is good.
Amen.
Prayer by Maryknoll missioner, Father Joseph R. Veneroso
Thank you for spending your time with us, this is Father Raymond Finch wishing you a blessed Advent.
