Advent Daily Devotional: Unexpected Gifts: 13th Dec

UNEXPECTED GIFTS

13^th December

First Reading, Isaiah 41:13-20
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:1, 9, 10-11, 12-13
Gospel, Matthew 11:11-15

First Reading: Isaiah 41:13-20

For I, Yahweh, your God, I grasp you by your right hand; I tell you, 'Do not be afraid, I shall help you.' Do not be afraid, Jacob, you worm! You little handful of Israel! I shall help you, declares Yahweh; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. Look, I am making you into a threshing-sledge, new, with double teeth; you will thresh and beat the mountains to dust and reduce the hills to straw. You will winnow them and the wind will carry them off, the gale will scatter them; whereas you will rejoice in Yahweh, will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

The oppressed and needy search for water, and there is none, their tongue is parched with thirst. I, Yahweh, shall answer them, I, the God of Israel, shall not abandon them. I shall open up rivers on barren heights and water-holes down in the ravines; I shall turn the desert into a lake and dry ground into springs of water. I shall plant the desert with cedar trees, acacias, myrtles and olives; in the wastelands I shall put cypress trees, plane trees and box trees side by side; so that people may see and know, so that they may all observe and understand that the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:1, 9, 10-11, 12-13

[Hymn of Praise Of David]

I shall praise you to the heights, God my King, I shall bless your name for ever and ever.

Day after day I shall bless you, I shall praise your name for ever and ever.

Great is Yahweh and worthy of all praise, his greatness beyond all reckoning.

Each age will praise your deeds to the next, proclaiming your mighty works.

Your renown is the splendour of your glory, I will ponder the story of your wonders.

They will speak of your awesome power, and I shall recount your greatness.

They will bring out the memory of your great generosity, and joyfully acclaim your saving justice.

Yahweh is tenderness and pity, slow to anger, full of faithful love.

Yahweh is generous to all, his tenderness embraces all his creatures.

All your creatures shall thank you, Yahweh, and your faithful shall bless you.

They shall speak of the glory of your kingship and tell of your might, making known your mighty deeds to the children of Adam, the glory and majesty of your kingship.

Your kingship is a kingship for ever, your reign lasts from age to age. Yahweh is trustworthy in all his words, and upright in all his deeds.

Gospel, Matthew 11:11-15

 'In truth I tell you, of all the children born to women, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of Heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm.Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; and he, if you will believe me, is the Elijah who was to return. Anyone who has ears should listen!

Writer's reflection:

As I struggled out of bed this morning and took my first tentative steps of the day, today’s first reading floated through my bleary mind and brought joy to my heart. The reading contains a word that God seems to have spoken over my life over and over again, and has been mentioned to us frequently in the past few readings during this Advent period.  Desert.

In the recent reflections we’ve had, different girls have shared the importance of being in the wilderness of life and those deserted moments when we find God and strengthen our faith, even when we wander away. Prayer, is an important part of faith for me, and is one that the word ‘desert’ especially speaks to me through.

Prayer is hard, right? It’s certainly been hard for me at times. The landscape of my prayer life often looks a lot like the desert – hard, dry, barren- and at times I’ve felt like God has just planted me right in the middle of it! But my desire for the water of life leads me to go deeper into the desert place and as I go deeper the signs of life, those little shoots; the unexpected gifts appear in often unexpected places. Today’s first reading brings so much life to me as it shows us how God can work right in the midst of the desert. He can bring life and he can bring growth to the place that we think is barren; “I shall turn the desert into a lake and dry ground into springs of water”.

The God that we believe in is creator of the world and the creator of all that is good and true and beautiful. He desires so desperately to bring that beauty and goodness to our lives. Where we think there is no hope God is able to bring beauty. In the desert place God blesses us with unexpected gifts. As Isaiah says ‘Do not be afraid, I shall help you’. We do not have a God that leaves us in the desert place but a God who will bless us with little gifts that lead us into hope. He desires to lead us to a place the goodness of God is evident. All we have to do is draw near to him and let him help us.

My challenge this Advent is to not run away from the aspects of my life that feel a little desert like, but instead to trust that God will bring life and that he will provide unexpected gifts that reveal his goodness. Reflect on the final words of today’s Gospel; “Anyone who has ears should listen!” –listen to the truth of God’s word to you. He is there – and He will be with you in any part of life you face.

So friends, let’s not get so wrapped up in our Christmas shopping that we forget to look out for the gifts that God is blessing us with. Let’s not forget that the best gift, the gift of Jesus Christ, is accessible to us each and every day through prayer and the sacraments.

Prayer Reflection:

Dear Lord,

This Advent, help us to trust that you will transform the desert parts of our life into ones that become the most fruitful.

Help us to open our ears to your truth and our heart to your love.

Keep us aware of the unexpected gifts you drop into our lives, and inspire us to use them for your glory.

Bring us your peace, and help us draw closer to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Writer Bio: Francesca Carbone

Hi! My name is Fran! I'm 23 and currently working as part of a school chaplaincy team in Brighton! You're most likely to find me in a cosy coffee shop with either a good book or an equally good pal. Fresh flowers, live music, sea side views and dinner parties make my heart ridiculously happy.  

For me, following Jesus is the biggest adventure I've ever been on; it's taken me to places I never thought I'd go, led me to people I am so blessed to call friends and pulled me out of my comfort zone more times than I can keep count of.