Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The REDEMPTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 December – ‘Come to us from the Father’s glory …’

One Minute Reflection – 5 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Week of Advent – Ferial Day – Romans 13:11-14; – Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

The night is far advanced; the day is at hand.” Romans 13:12

REFLECTION – “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, Rejoice !” (Phil 4:4). A double joy motivated by a double blessing – the First and the Second Coming. We should rejoice because, at His First Coming, the Lord brought riches and glory to us. We should rejoice again because, at His Second Coming, He will give us “length of days forever and ever” (Ps 20:5) As the Book of Proverbs says: “Long life is in her right hand, in her left, are riches and honour” (Ps 20:5). The left hand is the First Coming with its splendid riches – humility and poverty, patience and obedience. The right hand is the Second Coming with eternal life!

Isaiah speaks about the First Coming in these words: “Awake, awake! Put on strength, O Arm of the Lord! Awake as in the days of old, in ages long ago. Was it not Thou Who crushed Rahab, Thou Who pierced the dragon? Was it not Thou Who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, Who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?” (Is 51:9-10). The Arm of the Lord is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, through Whom and in Whom God created all things … O Arm of the Lord, O Son of God, awake! Come to us from the Father’s glory, assuming our flesh. Clothe Thyself with the strength of Divinity to do battle against the “prince of this world” (Jn 12:31) and “to cast out the strong one” Thou Who are “stronger than he” (Lk 11:21-22). Awake to redeem humankind as in days of old, Thou delivered the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt … Thou dried up the Red Sea – what Thou did then Thou will do again … as Thou made the way in the depths of hell for the redeemed to pass through (Is 25:8).” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) FDoctor of the Church (Sermons for Sundays and Feast Days).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).