The Jesse Tree Series: Waiting-Friday of the Third Week of Advent

THE JESSE TREE SERIES:

What does Friday of the third week of Advent entail for our Jesse Tree?

WAITING.

SCRIPTURE:Hab 1:1-2:1,3:16-19
Sometimes or perhaps more often than not, there is not a lot of uplifting good news stories on TV- in fact, there seems to be so many incidents of tragedy, where justice does not seem to uphold the rights of the victim/family, or where the power of the high flyers disempowers the hard working businessman in middle management or small business.

It is very easy to become despondent and wonder 'why does God allow good people to suffer' or why does God not do something about allowing real justice to occur.  In these times when we can be easily led down a dark emotional path, it may be wise to read these chapters since we too can easily have a go at God.

Perhaps He will answer us in these words:
For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end -- it will not lie.  If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith. (Hab 2:3-4).

THE PERSON: HABAKKUK  

This Prophet, whose name means "loving embrace," is eighth in order of the minor Prophets. His homeland and tribe are not recorded in the Divine Scriptures; according to some, he was of the tribe of Symeon. He prophesied in the years of Joachim, who is also called Jechonias, before the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish People, which took place 599 years before Christ. When Nabuchodonosor came to rake the Israelites captive, Abbacum fled to Ostrakine, and after Jerusalem was destroyed and the Chaldeans departed, Abbacum returned and cultivated his field. Once he made some pottage and was about to take it to the reapers in the field. An Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and carried him with the pottage to Babylon to feed Daniel in the lions' den, then brought him back to Judea (Bel and the Dragon, 33-39): His book of prophecy is divided into three chapters; the third chapter is also used as the Fourth Ode of the Psalter. His holy relics were found in Palestine during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great, through a revelation to Zebennus, Bishop of Eleutheropolis (Sozomen, Eccl. Hist., Book VI 1, 2-9).

THE EVENT/THEME: WAITING:  During our reflection time today, let us ponder on the theme of Waiting in our lives.

We may wish to

1.            Offer a prayer of repentance for the times we doubted that God would help us, even when the assistance seemed slow in coming.

2.            Rediscover the value of waiting in our lives and learn to trust God that He will come to our help at the right time for us.

3.            Make a practical commitment: As today's theme is waiting, we may wish to:

o        Recall a time of great need in our lives when we doubted God's help and reflect on how God assisted us.

o        Wait for something/someone today- experience the emotions and concerns as they emerge and make a list of them.

o        In a time of reflection, refer to our list of emotions and bring them to God and wait patiently for Him to speak to us about our list. Ask Him how we might learn to trust Him more securely and how we might learn the gift of patient waiting.

SYMBOL 20: STONE WATCHTOWER.

Let us remember the prophet Habakkuk.as we prepare our twentieth symbol (nineteenth cut out symbol) and place it on the tree.

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