Friday, December 24th
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Longing In Hope
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
Luke 1:68
Expectation brings joy to the center of our sadness and the loved one to the heart of our longings. The one who stayed with us in the past and will return to us in the future becomes present to us in that precious moment in which memory and hope touch each other. At that moment we can realize that we can only expect someone because he has already touched us ...
Is God present or is God absent? Maybe we can say now that, in the center of our sadness for his absence, we can find the first signs of his presence. And that in the middle of our longings we find the footprints of the One who created them. It is in the faithful waiting for the loved one that we know how much he has fulfilled our lives already. Just as the love of a mother for her son can grow while she is waiting for his return, and just as lovers can rediscover each other during long periods of absence, so also our intimate relationship with God can become deeper and more intimate while we wait patiently in expectation for his return.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, during this season of preparation, we have tried to look for true satisfaction in your Kingdom, not the things of this world. As we begin to celebrate your coming into the world, help us to cherish the good things of life as we look forward to your coming among us again.