“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?”
Friday of the first week of Advent, day six of the season, presents my favorite Psalm in the readings of the day. Advent this year gives us four full weeks — 28 days — to help us prepare for Jesus’ coming. Jesus our Lord comes at Christmas, but of course that actually happened 2,000 years ago. Jesus is coming again at the end of the world, as our faith tells us, but that day is known only to God. How can we prepare for that? It is that preparation that this day has me reflecting on — Jesus coming into each of our hearts. Are we preparing for this? Is the Lord truly our light and salvation? He is if we invite Him to be. In our weakness and sinful nature, we often have to invite him again and again, seeking his forgiveness, asking him to fill our hearts again. The great thing is, Jesus is always willing to give us that second and third and 65th chance, if we sincerely want Him in our lives and hearts.
“One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”
The prophet Isaiah tells us what it’s like when we accept the Lord into our hearts: The deaf hear, the blind see, the lowly find joy, the poor rejoice. When the Lord is our everything, we need nothing else. When we ask the Lord to let us dwell in His house, He is happy to oblige those who seek Him. If we err or find fault, we will be corrected and instructed. God is willing to do what it takes to get us to dwell in His house. We need to have the faith to trust in Him and let him guide us there. When we have faith, like the two blind men who encountered Jesus in today’s Gospel, we can encounter the Lord’s mercy and His healing touch. It is that very mercy that corrects, instructs, changes and heals us. Advent tells us plainly, “prepare for the mercy of God by inviting, by seeking the mercy of God.” Believe in the bounty of His love, His mercy, which he wants to show us forever in the land of living. Come, Lord Jesus into our lives, into our hearts. Jesus dwelling there is truly a reason to fear nothing.
“Wait for the Lord with courage; Be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.”
“El Señor es mi luz y mi salvación, ¿a quién voy a tenerle miedo? El Señor es la defensa de mi vida, ¿quién podrá hacerme temblar?
El viernes de la primera semana de Adviento, día sexto de la temporada, presenta mi Salmo favorito en las lecturas del día. El Adviento de este año nos da cuatro semanas completas, 28 días, para ayudarnos a prepararnos para la venida de Jesús. Jesús nuestro Señor viene en la Navidad, pero por supuesto eso sucedió hace 2000 años. Jesús viene de nuevo al final del mundo, como nos dice nuestra fe, pero ese día solo lo conoce Dios. ¿Cómo podemos prepararnos para eso? Es esa preparación en la que este día me hace reflexionar: Jesús entrando en cada uno de nuestros corazones. ¿Nos estamos preparando para esto? ¿Es el Señor verdaderamente nuestra luz y salvación? Lo es si lo invitamos a serlo. En nuestra debilidad y naturaleza pecaminosa, muchas veces tenemos que invitarlo una y otra vez, buscando su perdón, pidiéndole que vuelva a llenar nuestro corazón. Lo grandioso es que Jesús siempre está dispuesto a darnos esa segunda y tercera y 65a oportunidad, si lo queremos sinceramente en nuestras vidas y corazones.
“Lo único que pido, lo único que busco es vivir en la casa del Señor toda mi vida.”
El profeta Isaías nos dice cómo es cuando aceptamos al Señor en nuestro corazón: Los sordos oyen, los ciegos ven, los humildes encuentran alegría, los pobres se regocijan. Cuando el Señor es nuestro todo, no necesitamos nada más. Cuando le pedimos al Señor que nos permita habitar en Su casa, Él está feliz de complacer a aquellos que lo buscan. Si nos equivocamos o encontramos fallas, seremos corregidos e instruidos. Dios está dispuesto a hacer lo que sea necesario para que habitemos en Su casa. Tenemos que tener la fe para confiar en Él y dejar que nos guíe. Cuando tenemos fe, como los dos ciegos que se encontraron con Jesús en el evangelio de hoy, podemos encontrar la misericordia del Señor y su toque sanador. Es esa misma misericordia la que nos corrige, instruye, cambia y sana. El Adviento nos dice claramente, “prepárense para la misericordia de Dios invitando, buscando la misericordia de Dios”. Cree en la generosidad de Su amor, Su misericordia, que quiere mostrarnos para siempre en la tierra de los vivientes. Ven, Señor Jesús, a nuestras vidas, a nuestros corazones. Jesús morando allí es verdaderamente una razón para no temer nada.
“La bondad del Señor espero ver en esta misma vida. Armate de valor y fortaleza y en el Señor confía.”
Mike Karpus is a regular guy. He grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, graduated from Michigan State University and works as an editor. He is married to a Catholic school principal, raised two daughters who became Catholic school teachers at points in their careers, and now relishes his two grandchildren, including the older one who is fascinated with learning about his faith. He also has served on a Catholic school board, a pastoral council and a parish stewardship committee. He currently is a lector at Mass, a Knight of Columbus, Adult Faith Formation Committee member and a board member of the local Habitat for Humanity organization. But mostly he’s a regular guy.
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