MONDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
Isaiah 35:1–10
REFLECT
One of the main differences between Advent and Lent is that the two seasons have a different approach to the desert. During Lent we talk about heading into the desert as a metaphor for being alone with God. To enter the desert means to get back to essentials, to strip away everything that clutters life, and to embrace the hardships of desert living. But in Advent, when the Scriptures bring up the desert, it is not as an image of mortification or discipline. In Advent we hear time and time again that God will transform the desert. Isaiah writes, “The desert and the parched land will exult; / the steppe will rejoice and bloom” (35:1). Advent’s hope and expectation promises refreshment and new life.
PRAY
Heavenly Father, creator of the deserts and wild places of the earth, you promise revival and abundance with the coming of your Son. Make my heart ready to receive the joys you promise this Christmas. Amen.
LIVE
Pray a decade of the Rosary today; meditate on the mystery of the Annunciation. Contemplate the promise of new life brought by the angel Gabriel.