THURSDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Prepare a way for the Lord,

make his paths straight,

and all mankind shall see the salvation of God. LK 3:4, 6

ISAIAH 54:1-10 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for the prophets and for the Holy Spirit who inspired them to speak to all who read the Word to know the unshakeable love that God has for us.

In this love poem of God to His people, we are assured that God is always doing something new for those who belong to Him. When we stray He gently brings us back. When we sin, He forgives. When we are cold and stubborn He woos us patiently and lovingly back into His arms.

The Church is the New Jerusalem, God renews His sacred Covenant in establishing her, saving her, redeeming her, making her His bride and His Son her Bridegroom. Through You Beloved, in union with the Holy Spirit, Your Church is fruitful. Every hope and dream of God's chosen people are realized in her - God has come to His own, He has been born in her, and there is now an explosion of God's awe-inspiring love conceived in the womb of Mary, the Mother of the Church, as from her God brings forth the Son of Man who is from all eternity the Son of God. 

No longer are we barren but laden with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. No longer are we forsaken for God Himself is our Father, our Bridegroom, our Comforter, and Helper. We who are born of her are children of God.

This is God's everlasting promise to His children:

for the mountains may depart,
the hills be shaken,
but my love for you will never leave you
and my covenant of peace with you will never be shaken,
says the Lord who takes pity on you.

LUKE 7:24-30 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

John was the last of the Old Testament prophets and to him was accorded the privilege of being God's herald of a new era, one in which God would stoop low from heaven and become like us, His creatures. 

John's austere life points to his singleminded purpose in fulfilling the marvelous work entrusted to him. He was fully immersed and absorbed in his ministry which was to prepare the way for the One who was to come and he knew that he was unworthy to unloose Your sandals. 

We are all commissioned by You to preach the good news in the way we live our lives. We are called to witness to the Truth always. How faithful are we? Too often we compromise our witness to the Truth by aligning ourselves with the spirit of the world. John was faithful to his mission to the end even though it cost him his life.

You testified to all who heard You that John was indeed great and that no one born of woman was greater than he and yet there was one greater in their midst the one born of the Holy Spirit. It is also a reminder to each of us that if we are docile to the Holy Spirit, know the Truth and live it, all those who know that without You we are nothing will be counted as greater than he.