Advent Prayer Challenge Day 25 - December 21
Joy Inside
Read Luke 1:39-45 & Zephaniah 3:14-18
Light four candles and say together
O Oriens: O Radiant Dawn,
splendour of eternal light, sun of justice:
come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Reflection
Advent is a journey toward Christmas, with each day bringing us closer and closer to that special day. But unlike a physical journey, we don’t really have to do anything to make the journey; we just have to get through another day.
One of the Christmas story’s main protagonists, Mary, was not just getting through another day. The first chapter of Luke’s gospel tells us she “set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah.” Mary has just been told she’s carrying God’s son, and now she’s speeding her way to her cousin Elizabeth’s house. And to be clear, in Mary’s time, it would not have been easy to get to a house in Judah’s hill country; even if there were roads, they weren’t paved, or smooth, and Mary probably didn’t own a car. Even so, Mary still got to Elizabeth’s front door, and she got there in a hurry. God comes to the hard-to-reach places, and he doesn’t take his time getting there.
When Mary arrives at Elizabeth’s house, the first person to recognize God’s presence isn’t even Elizabeth, it’s the baby in her womb who leaps for joy upon hearing his aunt’s greeting. Elizabeth’s reaction to that joy exploding within her is to recognize God’s presence in her midst.
As we approach Christmas, we can look to Elizabeth as a great example for us. Do we recognize God’s presence when we feel Christmas joy? It may happen at Christmas Mass, or it may happen when you stand in the warm glow of a Christmas tree on a later winter’s night, or it may happen during an impromptu snowball fight with your family on New Year’s Eve. God’s presence can feel particularly strong inside the four walls of a church, but God is not limited to the square footage of a brick-and-mortar building. This is a perfect season to dwell on the joy we feel and recognize that God is especially close to us in those sweet moments.
In my mind, I often call these ‘billion dollar moments’. These are moments where, even if I had a vast fortune, unlimited resources, and I could be anywhere in the world that I wanted to, I would still choose to be right there. In those moments, God feels present in a very comforting way.
In the book of Zephaniah, we hear, “The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves.” God is among us! He’s not in a special area surrounded by velvet ropes or high walls, he’s right in the midst of our lives, right with us in our stress, in our sin, and in our joy. Today you can pray to be like Elizabeth, to recognize when the joy inside you is God’s way of announcing his presence.
Reflect and Discuss
- What was a joyful Christmas moment that you remember from recent years?
- Is there a moment that comes to mind when you think about God showing his presence to you? What did it feel like?
Pray
Lord, may we recognize your presence with us this Christmas and may it fill us with joy. Thank you for coming to us, bringing light and joy.
Amen
Advent in Action
As Mary went to spend time with Elizabeth, spend some time today learning about Christmas traditions from other countries.
More information about our Advent Prayer Challenge can be found here.
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Advent Prayer Challenge Day 24 - December 20
Regifted Miracles Read Luke 1:26-38 Light four candles and say together O Clavis David: O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come,...