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"Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved." – Ps 80
In this second week of Advent, leading up to Gaudete Sunday, I am reflecting more on what it means to have hope, peace, joy, love, and ultimately Christ in our lives. While for me personally I feel an abundance of these virtues in my life presently, I am aware of the suffering of those around me. Even though I might not know how to exactly help, and I struggle with finding the right words, I know I must persist.
This Advent season for many may be a time of mourning and loss. There doesn’t feel like there is peace in our world, and even perhaps in our own hearts. There might be stress in the busyness of the season. It is hard to see joy when one is grieving. But as believers we can bring all those feelings of sadness, our fears and anxieties to God. Often in Christian circles we say to bring these things to the foot of the cross; however we can also bring these things to the manger in hopes of redemption. We do not have to feign our optimism that things will be better. We can trust and know that we shall be saved. This is the perfect time to run to Christ in the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of reconciliation. There are usually several Advent penance services happening and this may be our opportunity to turn back to the Lord and see the Lord’s face.
In the spirit of spreading more hope, peace, and love let us reconnect with someone we might have lost touch with. Perhaps it is a family member or friend that we haven’t had face-to-face time with for a while. Let us ask ourselves how we can spread peace to others this week in a new way.
Teresa Chu