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Friday, December 4, 2009, St. John Damascene
Isaiah 29:17-24, Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14, Matthew 9:27-31
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/120409.shtml
WAITING ROOM
"Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the
Lord." —Psalm 27:14
Advent is a time of waiting for Jesus' Christmas coming. It recalls the
thousands of years that humanity waited for the Messiah. Life is also a
time of waiting — waiting for Jesus to come in life, at death, and at the
end of the world. We seem to be perpetually waiting, in a never-ending
Advent.
However, sometimes we don't have to wait for long. Isaiah prophesied that
in "a very little while" the Lord would manifest His transforming and
healing power (Is 29:17). "Will not God then do justice to His chosen who
call out to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them, do you
suppose? I tell you, He will give them swift justice" (Lk 18:7-8). We give
the impression that we're so fast and God is so slow. Actually, it's the
other way around. If God wasn't waiting on us, He would have given us
"swift justice" by now. Then we would all be in heaven, and there would be
nothing more to wait for.
The Lord must wait for us much more than we must wait for Him. In fact,
when we do have to wait for Him, it's because He's waiting for someone
else. So to keep from holding God back any longer, we should cooperate
with God in those hundreds of things He intends to do now, or at least in
"a very little while." Our disobedience is holding up everybody else.
Repent of keeping God and humanity waiting.
Prayer: Father, I repent of keeping You waiting for years. I obey You now.
Promise: Jesus "touched their eyes and said, 'Because of your faith it
shall be done to you'; and they recovered their sight." —Mt 9:29-30
Praise: St. John Damascene's severed hand is said to have been
miraculously restored through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
(Is the Lord calling you to help PM through your time, talent, and
treasure? Our needs are many; call 937-587-5464 to find out.)
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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from
December 1, 2009 through January 31, 2010
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, June 4, 2009
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.
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