Friday of the First Week of Advent
Intention: That the start of this Advent will herald for us a time of prayer and conversion as we return our hearts and our lives to the work of building God’s Kingdom of peace, justice, and love.
Today’s Gospel | Matthew 9:27-31
Jesus As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
A Reflection for the First Friday of Advent
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “And in the Incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God.” The picture of the newborn Jesus shining through the nighttime darkness serves as a metaphor for the way that God’s redemption comes to us and where it finds many of us. While for some people darkness is a realm of quiet and rest, for others it is a place of confusion and despair. God comes to all, but especially to those who are lost and far away from knowing him. The lesson of that long-ago night is that God is wherever we need him to be, but it is up to us to trust in his presence. The time of Advent is a time for reflecting on in what ways we need to come out of the darkness, and what it is that the light of Jesus’ birth invites us to see.
Prayer
Eternal Father, every day we are in need of you. We search for strength and healing to face the hurts and empty times of our lives. Help us to experience the power of your spirit within and among us. Let us feel your hand on our hearts, making us whole and leading us into better places. Then, may we take this strength and compassion and bring it to others. Just as you sent your Son to give a human touch and voice to your presence to us, may we during this Advent make of ourselves gifts of his good news of peace, compassion, and justice. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.