Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
December 13, Wednesday
Today’s Readings:
Isaiah 40:25-31
Ps 103:1-4, 8, 10
Matthew 11:28-30
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121317.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/17_12_13.mp3
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
Today’s readings invite people to walk in God’s ways. Today’s World offer many ways of life but how to discern which way is the right way of life? Jesus the Creator of Heaven and Earth became a Creation to show us the right way of life. Jesus lived in this Earth and by his Words and actions became a model to every believer. Jesus gave us a New way of life to love, forgive, suffer , expect the reward not on this Earth but in Heaven and live in his Words and Beatitudes.
Today Jesus calls all people who are engaged in the rat race of this World and learn from him the ways of eternal life. The ways of God are not burdened or heavy but light and not stressful. The suffering and persecution in God’s ways are part and parcel of life but they are not stressful and burdened because we carry them through our Master Carrier who carried the Burdens of the entire World. In the first reading Isiah says he leads the army of each Creation and calls them by name so his Wisdom Power, understanding, Knowledge cannot be measured or can be understood.
If we have such a great God with us, then why do we caught up in the Rat Race of success and gathering of the Creation? Because these people have not experienced the love and grace of God. We see many Christians live in a stressful and great sufferings in their life. Why do they suffer and burdened heavily? Does Jesus put these burdens upon them? The suffering and persecutions to walk in the Ways of God is a way of beatitude taught by Jesus, but these sufferings and persecutions can not become heavy or burdensome if we carry or suffer Willingly for him alone. If we offer these Persecutions and sufferings to the Cross of Christ, these very sufferings become a Sacrifice of thanksgiving, Sweet and Holy. God wants this kind of practical and meaningful prayer of thanksgiving.
We see many people live for Christ as Single and live in extreme circumstances throughout their life. These are the people who have experienced the real love of God and offered themselves as a gift of thanksgiving to God. Many married Christian Families struggle to bring up their families and Work in extreme circumstances and offer themselves as a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God. Their main intention to build their family in Christian values so that the faith of Christ may pass on to the second and third generation. There is great joy and content and peace among these people which the World can not give them. But there are people who work for only for Worldly Success and Prosperity, these people’s intentions are self-Pride and acquisition of power and these kinds of People never experience the Joy and Peace of God but remain Burdened and stressful. There are Christians who pray only for prosperity and Acquisition of Worldly power, but these people remain beggars through out their life, running from one prayer group to the other for healing and prosperity but never live a life of Beatitudes and be a part of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is loving, meek and humble and he wants us to be like him by relying on him and walking with him in every step of our life. He wants our entire life given in his hands. When offer our life in his hands, he becomes the source of our lifer in all our sufferings or joy. Jesus himself is the eternal rest and we can experience that eternal rest upon this Earth by surrendering our life un to him and resting with him alone.
Let us offer our life in the following Song of Prayer
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
And what a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer
PRAYER REFLECTIONS 