Advent Meditations: Tuesday 1 December
| Tue Dec 1 |
am: 119:1-24 pm: 12, 13, 14 |
Isaiah 1:21-31 | 1 Thes 1: 2-12 | Luke 20:9-18 |
Saint Philaret the Merciful of Constantinople (762)
Saint Philaret was born in the beginning of the 8th century in the Paphlagonian region of Asia Minor (now territory of Turkey). He was a rich nobleman, whose righteous parents brought him up in the spirit of love for God and compassion for people. He retained those merits for all his life. He lived happily with his wife and 3 children (a son and two daughters). Being rich did not harden his heart like it happened to many other people in similar circumstances. On the contrary, he felt compassion towards the poor and cared for them always bearing in mind that faith alone without good deeds is barren. Many paupers, widows and orphans knew him as kind person and generous benefactor.
MEDITATION – The psalmist often wondered why God did not intervene more quickly to alleviate the suffering, but he was confident of God’s concern for him. The psalmist patiently waited for God’s help and endured unjust suffering. Laments are basically protesting of injustice and pleas to God for his justice to prevail.
In Psalm 13, Lamentation is a statement of faith entrusting God with our most serious questions. The prayer is in three parts: despair; verses 1-2, prayer; verses 3-4, and trust; verses 5-6. The despair is expressed in four “how long?” questions .This whole psalm is a commentary on the grace of God and His love: God’s loving way of sustaining us in times of trouble and providing for our needs. In life’s most trying times, when even our family and friends deserts us, we can rely on God to hear our cries and to help us in every circumstance.
PRAYER – All-powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, forever and ever.
ACTIVITY – The Psalm are a vital part of the spiritual life. Prayer diligently the Psalms appointed for today.
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “Is there no hope at all? ‘Not really’ would seem to be the answer, except perhaps for the grace of the Incarnation.”-– St. Augustine of Hippo
See also: Advent Devotion 02 from GAFCON
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