Advent: Awaiting Our Lord, our Protector

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Thursday, 2nd Week of Advent, December 10th, 2020

Texts: Is. 41:13-20; Ps. 145:1.9-13; Matt. 11:11-15

Life without faith is prone to fear; faith banishes fear and gives sense of security. Only those who have faith can see and feel the presence of God in their lives. God does not want us to entertain fear. Today, in the first reading, he says, "I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I will help you. Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel." God promises to make of each of us a conqueror; with God we are conquerors and live above our challenges. He says, "Behold, I will make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and shall make the hills like chaff". Being a sledge that break mountains and hills into pieces is being a conqueror, surviving the hardest time. Faith in God makes us to survive the hard time. In this time of history of our world, faith is needed more than ever. Faith takes away fear and makes us rejoice in the Lord.

The poor and the needy in the reading are those who put their trust in God, not in men or wealth. God says to them, "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I  the Lord will answer them, and I the God of Israel will not forsake them." God will not forsake us, but answer us because he is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in mercy (cf. Response to today's Psalm). 

Faith in God makes us to know that God is more than our problems and challenges and so it gives confidence and sense of protection by God. Let us rekindle our faith in God, for his protection is sure for those who trust in him. He, whose word is ever true, says he is protecting us and strengthening us.

Lord our God, we thank you for always being there for us, grant that we may always be conscious of your presence and protection over us. Amen.

Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke