Day 7

The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo

Busy Catholic’s Online Advent Retreat

A Season of Praise

Day Seven – Sunday, December 11

Praise God for His Reliability

Today’s Reading

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

(Isaiah 35)

Fr. Knight’s Reflection

   Don’t our “knees go weak,” and our “hearts get frightened”? We cannot command our emotions to be sensible! They don’t obey us.

   But God we can always rely on. Like Jesus, each of us can say, “I am never alone, because the Father is with me” (John 16:32).

   We need to praise God for that. Praise keeps us aware.

   John the Baptizer felt alone when he sent disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”

   Jesus told John to praise God for what Jesus was doing instead of blaming him for what he wasn’t: “The blind regain sight, the lame walk…the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” Praise God.

   Jesus was at work in the world. He was just not using his power to deliver John.

   But Jesus did deliver John—not just from his prison cell, but from the darkness and narrowness of the world itself. And he gave him faith to “make firm the knees that were weak, and the heart that was frightened.” When the executioners arrived, the Spirit said to John, “Be strong, fear not! Here is your God!”

   That is the gift we can rely on. No matter what happens, praise God: “The Lord God keeps faith forever.”

Copyright by David Knight.  Used by permission of Twenty-Third Publications.

For Your Reflection or Discussion

Under what circumstances have you experienced “weak knees” or “frightened hearts”?  Is there a circumstance right now for which you need to remember and praise God’s reliability?

Daily Practice

“Say to those whose hearts are frightened: ‘Be strong, fear not! Your God comes to save you!’”

Advent Prayer

Father, all powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When he humbled himself to come among us,
he fulfilled the plan you formed long ago 

and opened for us the way to salvation.

Now we watch for the day,

when Christ will come again in his glory.

And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven

we proclaim your glory
and join in their unending hymn of praise.