Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent

There is strength and confidence that grow from faith. The passage from Isaiah is a confident prayer for deliverance. The Psalm makes the point that trust should be in the Lord. The Gospel is Jesus’ call for listening and action. I find that I am better at listening and action than at confident faith and trust.

Tonight is “Saint Nicholas Eve”. In my childhood, we would hang our stockings. St. Nicholas would come during the night and fill the stockings with candy and toys. As I became older, it was clear that it was my parents who were the source of these gifts. Although I still enjoyed the presents, some innocence was lost.

I know that I am much better at listening to the Gospel than to my physician. (I still need to improve my diet, get more exercise and lose weight.) I am concerned with trying to understand the message in context. Again, this leads me to consider the various ways Jesus’ message could be understood rather than a literal acceptance of the text. I do not enjoy the ambiguity that this creates or relish the extra effort that it requires.

I see the foundation in today’s Gospel as corresponding to one’s character. I see Jesus as asking, “How does one respond to challenges and difficulties?”. Does one respond with grit and resilience or is one willing to give up when faced with unpleasant demands or adversity? I recall the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They seem well matched to such an understanding of today’s Gospel

My prayer today is for a resilience in my commitment in service to the Gospel.