Monday, December 28, 2009

Isaiah 66:14 Behold He Comes

Isaiah 66:14 Behold He Comes
“When you see this, your heart will rejoice”.

Reflection

If you ask most people what December is about, they are likely to say, “Getting ready for Christmas.” But go one step further and ask what this means. They will mention buying presents, preparing for guests, or visiting family for the holidays. If you say, “What about celebrating the mystery of the birth of the Son of God?” they will eye you suspiciously and with a tinge of embarrassment say, “Of course. That too.” It was not always this way. Older people can remember when there was real excitement. As children, we fasted from candy and made little sacrifices for the Christ Child. We saved what little we had to buy presents but also to give something to the poor or to the Church. And we were excited.

We all knew of course that Christ was born long ago, but somehow this remembrance made it seem that He was coming again to us. I recall serving Midnight Mass at the Dominican Sisters’ motherhouse and, looking up on Christmas Eve on the way to the chapel, there was a large bright star. I do not now know whether it was the planet Jupiter or Venus in the clear, cold sky. I literally jumped when I saw it. Jesus was coming to our town. Some call this the magic of Christmas. It’s not magic, of course. Magic is a trick—the appearance of something that actually is not there. Christmas is a mystery: that which is intangible, unseen, is really there. Christ is with us every day whenever we decide to turn to Him.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, increase our faith. Draw our eyes away from unimportant things and our hearts from what is shallow. Help us to feel the joy of the shepherds or the Magi. Give us a taste of the wonder of Mary and Joseph. Help us to share with those we love and all those we know the truly good news: The Lord comes. Amen.

Source: Behold, He Comes
Meditations on the Incarnation: Daily Readings from Advent to Epiphany -Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.

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