The Overture of Comfort

~~~ Second Sunday of Advent ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 ~~~ Psalm 85 ~~~ 2 Peter 3:8-14 ~~~

~~~ Mark 1:1-8 ~~~

Comfort, give comfort to my people,

says your God.

Just the sound of the word comfort is calming to me.
It conjures up feelings of being wrapped up
 in a soft down filled comforter.
Comfort to intended to ease the pain...to console.
God cares enough for us to swaddle us with his words of comfort.
The former days of distress dissolve in his love.
He sends us messengers as proof of his consolation.

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!

John the Baptist was the equivalent of the town crier.
His words told of the coming of the Lord.
One greater than he was, even as revered as he was to the people.
Make ready the way of the Lord.
If you do not prepare you just might miss the entire event.
I would hate to miss the entire event of the salvation of all of mankind.

Advent is the Overture for all of Christianity and Salvation.
An overture is the opening piece of music played
before the larger body of music.
In the overture one is allowed to hear a sample,
if you will, of some of the melodic themes.
Later these musical themes are developed and expanded.

Advent is the beginning of our spiritual
 survival....our musical existence.
The beautiful song of Mary's 'yes' the first few notes.

Advent is a time of wonder and awe
as the love song God has composed for us begins.

Our Blessings of comfort are secure
within the voice crying out in the desert.
Prepare the way...
~~~Peace~~~

Her Pierced Heart

~~~  Our Lady of Sorrows ~~~
~~~ 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33 ~~~ Psalm 40 ~~~
~~~ John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35 ~~~

Every mother knows their life will be punctuated with
joys and sorrows; Mary was no different.
As a mother you pray that the joys will be
greater than the sorrows.

The greatest sorrow for any mother is to survive
the death of one of her children.
In the Blessed Mother's case, her only child.
Mary was warned in the temple by Simeon
when Jesus was just an infant.

Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce

The language here is so brutally descriptive...a sword will pierce.
This sword which literally pierced the side of Jesus
would pierce the heart of his mother.
A mother can not separate herself from her child's suffering.
A mother would gladly change places with her child
 to spare him/her such pain and suffering.
Mary was not allowed to make such an exchange with her son.

Try to imagine the tears Mary must have cried as she
and Joseph carried their young son from the temple that solemn day.

For thirty-three years even the joy she experienced
was clouded by the words of the prophets.

Until the day comes when she finds herself
standing in the crowded street as her son passes by.
He is bloody and barely able to carry the heavy cross.

The Roman guards taunt him, call him names.
They strike his body with their leather whips;
her heart is over flowing with sorrow.

Each time you find yourself struck with sorrow turn to Our Lady.
She can give you comfort. She understands.
 She has had her heart helplessly pierced right before her face. 

Turn to Our Lady in times of sorrow she
can bring you peace.

She watched as her son, Jesus, surrendered his body
 without resistance until the last drop of blood
 flowed forth from his body.

She watched knowing that she would have to go
on living without her beloved Son.

She knew the great sorrow of accepting
 what she could not change.

Come to her in pray when you are facing sorrow.
She will give you the grace to move forward as she did.
She believed in her Son.
She believed in his message.
She believed he was sent by God
 to redeem the world.
She lived in the unfolding of the prophecy.
She lived with the piercing sword of sorrow
 deep within her heart.
We never need to be alone in times of sorrow, she is there with us.
May Our Lady of Sorrow, bless you with comfort.

~~~Peace~~~

His Breath of Comfort

~~~ Isaiah 40:1-11~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Matthew 18:12-14 ~~~

 

 

At the beginning of chapter 40 in the book of Isaiah

the people of Judah were in exile.

They had failed to listen to the word of God.

They just could not get their act together.

So what was their future?

Would God move on to another group of people and leave these

people to suffer their own consequences?

 

The first few verses we have today is God's response.

"Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated..."

 

God is speaking words of forgiveness for their past offenses.

Just as he speaks words of forgiveness to us for our offenses today.

God will never abandon his chosen ones.

 

The wonderful thing about God is that he grants pardon

and forgiveness whether or not you may deserve it.

The question of deserving is not part of the relationship where

God is concerned. Here again we are reminded that

the ways of God are not like our ways.

 

Children often feel their punishment

is out of proportion for their offenses;

so it is not surprising that this community

felt God had punished them long enough.

"...Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins."

 

Repenting for our past offenses may mean retreating to the desert for a time.

Alone in the desert one can better focus on the hear God's voice.

 

"...In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!"

 

The verses go on to provide proof that with God

nothing is viewed as an obstacle.
Whether it is mountains or valleys, rugged or flat plains

the glory of the Lord will be revealed.

 

 

God, like a good shepherd, nurtures and cares for his sheep.

A good shepherd counts his sheep and knows if even one is missing.

He goes out in search of the solitary lost sheep;

he gives him comfort upon finding him.

 

This is a comforting image of God as the good shepherd

rather than unapproachable royalty,

such as a king or queen.

As we have seen in the media royalty

rarely interacts with the general public.

When the royal family ventures out among the common people

they are surrounded by security.

Jesus moved freely mingling with the 'common' people of the area.

Jesus felt most comfortable among the poor and the lowly.

He sought out the lost lonely sheep.

He reached out to them drawing them into his loving care...

just as good shepherd.

 

Is there an area of your heart that would benefit

from the comfort of the good shepherd?

Be patient he will come with his breath of comfort,

as he gathers you to his 'bosom'.

 

We wait on the Lord with anticipation.

Comfort, give comfort to my people...

how sweet the sound of these words of the Lord.