NO MORE WILL YOU WEEP…
This first week of Advent has passed quickly, and while I would like to say it has been a week of joyful anticipation, that is not the case. It has been challenging to embrace the hope intended during this season.
I am keenly aware of the ravages of war in the place we call the Holy Land. I worry for hardworking families in my community who are now living with the fear of government roundups and deportation and about the lack of mercy that seems to have pervaded our society. So, like many others, I try to keep my exposure to the news limited to reduce anxiety about things over which I have no control.
In addition to my overall anxiety over current events, my husband and I spent this week moving. The physical work involved left little time for Advent reflection. My solace was in the darkness of the night just before sleep when I could finally seek and find moments of gratitude.
One of those moments of gratitude happened when my newest son-in-law called on his way home from work where he oversees safety on construction sites. He was checking in to see how things were going and to remind me to relax because God was with me. He is not one you would think would offer this type of wisdom. Yet, there he was, lifting me up and reminding me of God's presence. It was quite an unexpected gift.
In today’s first reading, the words “No more will you weep” refer to God’s care for the people of Israel. In today’s gospel, we read that Jesus “was moved because they were troubled and abandoned.”
My prayer on this day is to take both thoughts to heart. God was and is with me, with us.
Anne Hansen