The Lord promises to comfort and speak tenderly to us (Is 40:1-2). In today's second reading, the Church proclaims in the name of the Lord that "the heavens will vanish with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire" (2 Pt 3:10). How comforting! In the Gospel reading, we meet St. John the Baptizer, one of the least comforting characters in the Bible and in history (see Mk 1:2ff). The Lord's ways are not our ways, and His idea of comfort is not our idea of comfort (see Is 55:8).
The Lord does not want to give us the superficial comfort of temporary relief. Rather, the Lord promises to baptize us in the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:8), the Paraclete, the Comforter (see e.g. Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). This divine Comforter will free us from generations of slavery, sin, guilt, and punishment (Is 40:2).
Comfort will begin with the Holy Spirit convicting the world and us of sin, justice, and condemnation (Jn 16:8). Then we must let the Spirit lead us from conviction to repentance, confession, and forgiveness. After this, we will personally experience that "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor 3:17).
In the comfort of the Spirit, we will truly enter into the freedom of the Lord. We will displace the culture of death with a civilization of love and life. Come, Holy Spirit of Christmas and comfort!
| PRAYER: | Father, comfort me Your way. |
| PROMISE: | "Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord God, Who rules by His strong arm." –Is 40:9-10 |
| PRAISE: | Praise to You, risen Jesus, "Prince of Peace" (Is 9:5). All glory and honor to You. Alleluia! |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College