First Saturday of Advent
– You can ponder on the picture. For a method of praying with pictures click button below.
– You can pray on the words of Scripture. For methods of praying with scripture click button below.
– You can follow the suggestions in the daily ‘Reflection’.
– You can listen to the music
Today’s Scripture
Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 (HSCB)
For you people will live on Zion in Jerusalem and will never cry again. He will show favour to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears, He will answer you. The Lord gave you meagre bread and water during oppression, but now your Teacher will not hide Himself any longer. Your eyes will see your Teacher, and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”
Then He will send rain for your seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food, the produce of the ground, will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in open pastures. The oxen and donkeys that work the ground will eat salted fodder scattered with winnowing shovel and fork. Streams flowing with water will be on every high mountain and every raised hill on the day of great slaughter when the towers fall. The moonlight will be as bright as the sunlight, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days—on the day that the Lord bandages His people’s injuries and heals the wounds He inflicted.
Reflection
Today we hear about a season of abundance following a time of lack, of restoration and nourishment. Yet there is mention of the injuries and hurts of life which the people of Israel had suffered, and blamed God for.
We may be able to relate to this sense of hurt which God did not seem to save us from, or respond to our prayers to alleviate. This could be applied to our personal lives or the needs we see in our world.
St Ignatius of Loyola encourages us to remember the times of joy or ‘consolation’ so that we can recall them in desolate moments. What happens when you do that?
Bring to God reasons for your heart to rejoice in and express your gratitude.
Bring to God any sadness, need or lack and speak with him about these. How does God respond?
Today’s Music
Click to purchase music of Matt Redman