First Tuesday of Advent
– You can ponder on the picture. For a method of praying with pictures click button below.
– For today’s Scripture it is often good to allow God to speak to us through our imagination.
We place ourselves in the Gospel story.
You can read how to do this in ‘Imaginative Prayer’ – click Methods of Prayer button below.
– You can follow the suggestions in the daily ‘Reflection’.
– You can listen to the music
Today’s Scripture
Psalm 71 (72) 1-2, 7-8, 12-14, 17
God, give Your justice to the king
and Your righteousness to the king’s son.
He will judge Your people with righteousness
and Your afflicted ones with justice.
May the righteous flourish in his days
and prosperity abound
until the moon is no more.
May he rule from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.
For he will rescue the poor who cry out
and the afflicted who have no helper.
He will have pity on the poor and helpless
and save the lives of the poor.
He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are precious in his sight.
May his name endure forever;
as long as the sun shines,
may his fame increase.
May all nations be blessed by him
and call him blessed.
Reflection
Justice, righteousness and prosperity are all things humanity longs for. But sometimes they appear out of reach, sorely lacking when we look around our streets and world.
God has pity on the poor and oppressed, noticing those afflicted by violence – seeing them as precious.
Too often we see the faces of those who suffer, on our TV screens or on our streets.
The feelings we experience may be of sorrow for those in pain, anger towards the oppressors, and helplessness in the face of the hugeness of the problems. In the psalm we do not hear despair, but compassion and hope, the desire of God to rescue those in need. Perhaps today we could notice opportunities to respond to the needs of those around us and in doing so, be part of the restoration of our world.
Today’s Music