preparing for the awesome
“Behold our God, to Whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for Whom we looked.” —Isaiah 25:9
Christmas is Christ’s coming in the next few weeks in a new, powerful, and much needed way. Christmas is not just a remembrance; it is a present reality. Therefore, Christmas will soon be either one of the best things that has ever happened to us or a sadly missed opportunity.
When Christ comes this Christmastime, He will provide for us richly. Jesus will “destroy the veil” which keeps us in the dark, free us from the web “woven over all nations,” “destroy death forever,” “wipe away the tears from all faces,” and remove our reproach (Is 25:6-8). The Lord will apply His salvation to the practical details of our lives (Is 25:9). This Christmas, Jesus will especially cure “cripples, the deformed, the blind, the mute, and many others besides” (Mt 15:30). The Lord will take our inadequacies and miraculously multiply our very little to provide for the very many (see Mt 15:32ff).
Because Christmas is Christ’s coming in such power and glory, we are not ready to receive Him. Therefore, we must prepare to believe and receive Him more deeply by our repentance, discipline, penance, service, and evangelization during the Advent season. Because Christmas is so great, Advent is so needed. Prepare the way of the Lord (Lk 3:4).
Prayer: Father, prepare me for an unprecedented manifestation of Christ’s glory this Christmas season.
Promise: “The result was great astonishment in the crowds as they beheld the mute speaking, the deformed made sound, cripples walking about, and the blind seeing. They glorified the God of Israel.” —Mt 15:31
Praise: Charles’ life changed forever when he finally let God in.
Reference:
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from December 01/2021 through January 31, 2022 Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 5, 2021"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") 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 the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.