'wait' lifting
"They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles." —Isaiah 40:31, RSV-CE
Advent is a time of waiting. We wait through the longest nights of the year for the light of dawn. Children wait to open their presents on Christmas day. Christians wait for their family and friends to accept Jesus and celebrate their first real Christmas.
There are two kinds of waiting: waiting that makes us nervous and emotionally drained, or waiting that renews our strength. If we wait against our will as victims of circumstances, we become frustrated. If we choose to wait on God and refuse to control our own lives, we become energized by this act of faith. When we wait on God, we are really waiting on ourselves and/or other people who are keeping God waiting. We are choosing to accept God's way of forgiveness, patience, and mercy. When we wait on God, we're either admitting we've partly caused the delay or we're forgiving seventy times seven those who refuse to cooperate with the Lord.
Waiting on the Lord implies repentance and/or forgiveness. This waiting and soul-searching will energize us for Christmas. "Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord" (Ps 27:14).
Prayer: Father, thank You for waiting for me when I deserved to be left behind.
Promise: "Come to Me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you." —Mt 11:28
Praise: St. Juan Diego walked fifteen miles every day to attend Mass.
Reference: (To grow in waiting on God, read the Bible daily. For encouragement, order any or all of these audio or video tapes: Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ, AV 82-1, V-82, How to Pray the Bible on audio AV 82-3 or on video V-82, How to Read the Bible on audio AV 46-3 or on video V-46, Principles of Bible Interpretation, audio AV 79-1, video V-79.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 4, 2009
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