Meditation for the Day

Thursday of the Third Week of Advent, December 16

Our God Is Always With Us, Guiding Us with His Love, Comforting Us with His Compassion, Lifting Us Up with His Divine Mercy and Encouraging Us with His Spirit Who Always Dwells Within Us.

From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah in today’s First Reading, we hear the words, “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will take you back. In an outburst of wrath, for a moment I hid my face from you; But with enduring love I take pity on you, says the LORD, your redeemer.”

When I first read this verse for today’s meditation, I began to reflect upon those times in my own life when I felt that God had left me all alone. In all reality, I knew that He had never abandoned me, but, emotionally and spiritually, I felt alone; I felt empty inside – if only for a brief time.

One can feel this way, especially when confronted with feelings of great despair – such as the death of a loved one, being notified that you or a loved one has a very serious health issue which is terminal, even financial woes due to the loss of employment which can result in the loss of one’s home or worse, and the list of feelings of despair continues.

It is during those difficult times in our life when the valley through which we are traveling seems extremely deep; it is during those times in our life when the sadness we experience turns to anguish or hopelessness – when we begin to ask ourselves the question, “Where is our God?”

And, we reach out to Him with dismay and confusion, sometimes even anger, for it is at times like these in which we feel all alone and emotionally empty and drained.

Our journey of life can be filled with experiences of many wonderful peaks and many deep valleys, many amazing joys and many overwhelming sadnesses – all which help mold us into the person of faith which we become, if we turn to God’s Love for guidance and blessing, if we turn to Him for comfort and consolation – not only during our times of greatest need, but also when everything seems well and we feel God’s Presence near us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks the crowds, “What did you go out to the desert to see – a reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see?”

And, in this season of Advent, Jesus’ question becomes pertinent to each one of us. As we approach Christmas, what is it that we seek in our life? Who is it that truly provides for our needs, in both good times and bad, in both the amazing peaks and the depressing valleys of life which we experience?

These questions compel us to examine our own personal relationship with our God, in both the happy and sad moments of our life’s journey. These questions guide us into looking at the depth of faith we say we have in a merciful and loving God, especially during those experiences in our life when we feel our deepest despair.

Christmas reminds us that there is a God who loves and cares for each of us so intensely, no matter what our state in life may be at any particular moment, that He gave to you and me His only Son – who will never cease reaching out to us with His Love, so as to raise us up so that we may stand beside Him in the midst of whatever stormy seas we may find ourselves.

The Infant Jesus who came to us in Bethlehem is the same Jesus who walked amongst us, taught us, laughed and cried with us; He is the same Jesus who suffered and died for us – so that we may know and believe that we have a God who is truly in love with each and every one of us.

It is during these special Holy Days that sometimes our emotions can truly overwhelm us, especially if it is due to some extremely sad experience or some cross which seems terribly heavy. May we always take comfort in the sure and certain knowledge that our Most Loving Lord and Savior never leaves us alone and truly understands our human condition, because I truly believe that He cries with us when we cry.

He is always with us guiding us with His Love, comforting us with His Compassion, lifting us up with His Divine Mercy and encouraging us with His Spirit who always dwells within us.

For, as our psalmist tells us today, “You changed my mourning into dancing; O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.” †

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Please Comment, Like and Share, and Suggest to your Facebook friends – to spread the message of God’s Merciful Love.

Por favor Comente, Le Gusta y Comparta, y Sugiera a tus amigos en Facebook – en difundir el mensaje del Misericordioso Amor de Dios.

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Scripture for the Day

• “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will take you back. In an outburst of wrath, for a moment I hid my face from you; But with enduring love I take pity on you, says the LORD, your redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:7-8)
• “When the messengers of John had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. ‘What did you go out to the desert to see – a reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see?’” (Luke 7:24-25a)
• “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me…Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life.” (Psalm 23:4, 6a)
• “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
• “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the consolation we have received from him.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
• “Just as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the divine glory.” (2 Corinthians 1:7b)
• “When I say, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your mercy, LORD, holds me up. When cares increase within me, your comfort gives me joy.” (Psalm 94:18-19)
• “You changed my mourning into dancing…O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.” (Psalm 30:12a, 13b)

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Prayer for the Day

“Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless
and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible,
look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us,
that in difficult moments we might not despair
nor become despondent, but with great confidence
submit ourselves to Your holy will,
which is Love and Mercy itself.”

Saint Faustina (Diary, 950)