Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

Readings for Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent

Commentary:

Reading 1 Is 7:10-14

Ahaz is actually being hypocritical as he says; “I will not tempt the Lord.” Which explains why Isaiah reacts the way he does. Isaiah does not realize the import of his prediction. Most scholars agree he thinks he is merely speaking of the rescue of Judah. We of course see the fuller meaning of his statement which is fulfilled in the nativity account from the Gospels.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.

The psalm selection focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks God and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him. We are answered; “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.”

Gospel Lk 1:26-38

Here we have St. Luke’s story of the Annunciation. The Archangel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a son and names him Jesus. Mary confirms the title “Virgin” given by the author as she questions Gabriel saying; “How can this be, since I have not relations with a man?”

This story parallels the one we heard yesterday when the angel visited Zachariah and told him of the conception of John the Baptist. That event is referenced in this one as the Gabriel provides as proof to Mary, the pregnancy of Elizabeth.


Reflection:

It is “hump day” of our Advent’s “hump week”. Although, this year, with the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord falling on Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent, we have a very short fourth week. It’s time examine what we need to do to finish our preparations for the coming event.

Have we cleaned our old hurts and hates in the sacrament of Reconciliation?

Have we established a prayer regimen that includes an attitudinal reflection? (By this we are referring to that portion of our prayer that not only gives thanks to God for all He has done, but also expresses our joy in those gifts.)

Have we aligned our actions and planned actions with our prayer and our Lord’s commandments to us?

Have we adjusted our own desires to better conform ourselves to what God would want for us and from us?

I am not just throwing this out there. I was very moved by the psalm this morning. Look at what it says. First it asks the rhetorical questions; “Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? or who may stand in his holy place?” Then in the very next strophe we are given the answer; “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.” That’s were the questions above came from.

We know that we cannot, in this life, become worthy to stand in the physical presence of the Lord, but we can make a real effort to so transform our lives that we minimize our period of purification following this life so we can stand sinless before Him. That is our object this Advent season, and we don’t have much time left, 5 more days.

Pax