Open and Ready to Receive the Joy?

 The WORD in ADVENT - Third Thursday

December 15, 2022: Isaiah 54: 1-10; Luke 7: 24-30

The mountains may depart, the hills be shaken, but the love of the Lord shall stand forever, reminds us Isaiah. The covenant that the Lord has made shall never go in vain. These beautiful lines from the prophet are not merely some romantic lines or immaginary desires - this is a commimtment that God taken on our behalf... to be with us till the end of times. 

One of the enemies that would hinder us from expereincing that trememdous love of God, is a lack of openness to it and inability to recieve it when it is given actually. Openness is preparation and the act of receiveing it is celebration. We are moving fast into the moment of celebration and that is what this week reminds us - last week was preparation and this week is already a foreshadowing of the celebration to come. 

Jesus draws our attention to the need for this openness/preparedness and receiving/beholding the Lord at His coming - what did you go to see in the desert? He is making a cause of the way people missed John the Baptist, the Elijah promised to return. Today we are awaiting the coming of another - are we going to receive him or are we going to miss him? The urgency is well felt. 

The messengers, the message, the announcement - everything is here. All the remains to be ensured is our choice to really prepare and truly receive the Messiah. Are we doing enough to receive that visit of the Lord? Are we open enough to receive the message and feel the presence of the messenger? How disposed are we to make present the joy of the Reign where we are?