Come Lord Jesus!

This season of Advent, which we are in the midst of, is probably my favorite. Everything that we hear in the liturgy, and even in the natural world, seems to be longing for the light to come and overtake the darkness. We are looking again for the Light of the World to "shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death" (Canticle of Zechariah). The Church in this season is the wise virgin awaiting the arrival of the Bridegroom with her lamp of faith lit. I find myself anticipating more and more each day the celebration of Christmas and thinking about the second coming of the Lord at the end of time.

The longing that we experience as a Church for Christmas and even more for the second coming is not the only "coming" that we await. Each of us individually desires a renewed coming of the Lord in our lives. Particularly in discernment we long to hear the Word spoken that will shed new light on the Father's plan for our lives. Often the urgency of our desire to find God's will makes us wait with a longing which can feel like watching the sands of an hourglass. Timing is everything.

So often though we want to hear this word NOW! The task to watch, listen and pray is a difficult one when we are so eager to know what we are to do, but the tilling of the soil of our hearts in this way produces a greater readiness to receive and respond to the Word that we may otherwise not have. Just as the Jewish people had to wait patiently for many years for the Messiah, so too must we watch and pray to know His will for our lives. While we wait discerning the Lord's call let us listen to Isaiah and St. John the Baptist and "prepare the way" for His coming in our hearts. Sooner than we think He will come and shine on our path that we may follow Him as He desires.

Wisdom quote: "Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary" (Isaiah 40:31).