Advent Daily Devotionals: Directions for a Wanderer - 16th Dec

DIRECTIONS FOR A WANDERER

16^th December 2018

Readings of the Day:

Reading 1, Zephaniah 3:14-18

Responsorial Psalm, Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

Reading 2, Philippians 4:4-7

Gospel, Luke 3:10-18

First Reading, Zephaniah 3:14-18

Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!

The Lord has repealed your sentence; he has turned your enemy away. The Lord is king among you, Israel, you have nothing more to fear. When that Day comes, the message for Jerusalem will be: Zion, have no fear, do not let your hands fall limp.

The Lord your God is there with you, the warrior-Saviour. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you, as on a day of festival. I have taken away your misfortune, no longer need you bear the disgrace of it.

Responsorial Psalm, Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

Look, he is the God of my salvation: I shall have faith and not be afraid, for the Lord is my strength and my song, he has been my salvation.'

Joyfully you will draw water from the springs of salvation and, that day, you will say, 'Praise the Lord, invoke his name. Proclaim his deeds to the people, declare his name sublime.

Sing of the Lord, for his works are majestic, make them known throughout the world.

Cry and shout for joy, you who live in Zion, For the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness.'

Second Reading, Philippians 4:4-7

Always be joyful, then, in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful. Let your good sense be obvious to everybody. The Lord is near. Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude, and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Gospel, Luke 3:10-18

When all the people asked him, 'What must we do, then?' he answered, 'Anyone who has two tunics must share with the one who has none, and anyone with something to eat must do the same.' There were tax collectors, too, who came for baptism, and these said to him, 'Master, what must we do?'

He said to them, 'Exact no more than the appointed rate.' Some soldiers asked him in their turn, 'What about us? What must we do?' He said to them, 'No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!'

A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to wonder whether John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, 'I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, who is more powerful than me, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing-fan is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.'

And he proclaimed the good news to the people with many other exhortations too.

Writer’s reflection:

I am so inspired by St John the Baptist - he is such a hidden gem! In today’s Gospel he is quick to be clear that he is not Christ - but is preparing the way for Christ. St John knows who he is and finds his identity in Christ alone. St John points to Jesus, knowing Jesus is the one who brings us joy and answers all the longings of our hearts, as we are reminded in today's second reading. People were converted to Christianity through St John the Baptist’s witness of the faith, because he pointed to Christ in the workings of his life.  

As Christians, our lives should direct people to Jesus - however this can be challenging. As a baptised Catholic, our vocation is to seek holiness - but often I know I wander off course. We can be tempted not to speak out in an environment that can be hostile to our faith. Sometimes our faith can place us in situations or in conversations with others that make our lives harder. But St John the Baptist challenges us to be prudent in the actions we take, and reminds us that we too are called to spread the good news to others through our words and deeds.

Today’s Gospel got me thinking several questions. Do I always engage in conversations that glorify Christ and speak of his joy? Do I watch TV programmes and films that are moral and inspires me to lead a life of virtue? Do I stay committed to prayer and to study to understand the truth of Christ though the Church?

To say yes to these questions, this does not mean I need to spend my life constantly watching overly-cheesy Jesus films; but it does mean I may have to make hard decisions to speak truth and sometimes remove myself from situations that are not giving glory to God. Ultimately, we are called to be joyful in all circumstances, and as the mystic Caryll Houselander tells us; “the sense of the joy in anything is the sense of Christ”. There is lots of joy to be found in the teachings of the Church which addresses the issues of every age, in order that our lives might reflect the life of Christ. As St Paul tells us today, any worries of our heart which come to steal our joy can be handed over to God; who through His grace and peace will help us; even if it is beyond our understanding.

The Church cannot be separated from Christ who is love, therefore, we know that the Church’s teaching is there to bring us joy - so we may one day be eternally with Christ.

God is good, God is just and God loves each one of us intimately. As we are beautifully reminded in today's first and second readings; The Lord our God is THERE with us, and he is NEAR. So, let us pray that, like John the Baptist, we can live our lives on earth pointing to Jesus.

Prayer Reflection:

Our lives do not always point to Christ, but we have a great gift as Catholics in the Sacrament of reconciliation. When we miss the mark, we can meet the merciful love of the Father in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We can live more joyfully when in a state of grace. So why not make an extra effort to go to confession this Advent?

St John the Baptist pray for us! 

Writer's Bio:

Hi, my name is Anna! I’m 25 and live in London surrounded by amazing Catholic friends. 

I work in university welfare and volunteer in my local parish. I love reading, baking, going on adventures around London with friends and I love to try water sports. 


I really love Jesus and Jesus loves you! Our Lady delights in each one of her children. Spend some time getting to know God this Advent as it truly is the best adventure you will experience.