FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
Isaiah 48:17–19
Reflect
In today’s first reading of the Mass, the prophet Isaiah speaks of “attend[ing] to my commandments” and that your descendants would be “like the sand.” These words echo God’s promise made to Abraham: “I will bless you and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashores” (Gn 22:17). Hosea, too, promises that the sons of Israel will number more than the sands of the sea. The image reflects that those who live according to God’s law will know abundance of both material and spiritual blessings. Children are always a blessing from God. But it need not only be physical offspring we think of here. The text can also refer to spiritual sons and daughters, those we invite to join us as disciples.
Pray
Heavenly Father, we come before you now, humbly and contritely, seeking your forgiveness and your mercy. We ask that you create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. Amen.
Live
Seek out a picture of a sprawling beach. Reflect on the vastness of the scene and recall God’s promise to bring abundance, in greater multitude than the sands of the sea.
