Come Lord Jesus Series.
MONDAY FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
Entrance Antiphon:
The liturgy begins today with a
proclamation that does not whisper politely into the season; it summons.
“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations.” Advent is not merely a private
devotion for the spiritually inclined — it is a cosmic announcement. God is not
coming quietly to one corner of the world. He comes for all peoples, in every
place, across every distance of the human heart. Jeremiah’s voice echoes
through the centuries, calling the nations to attention: something decisive is
about to happen.
This antiphon is a woven tapestry
of two prophets — Jeremiah and Isaiah — whose words together form a single
movement of hope. Jeremiah speaks to a people scattered, anxious, and unsure of
God’s nearness. Isaiah speaks to the fearful and weary, promising that God
Himself will come with strength and healing. The Church joins their voices
today because Advent is both:
the cry of the scattered, and the promise of gathering;
the ache of the fearful, and the assurance of courage;
the longing of the blind, and the gift of new sight.
“Behold, our God will come
with power.”
This is not the coercive power of earthly rulers, but the quiet power of
divine fidelity — the power to keep promises, to restore, to heal, to
enlighten. God’s power is the power that bends down, not crushes; the power
that draws near, not intimidates. Advent reveals a God who comes not to
overwhelm us but to awaken us.
And then, the final line: “to
enlighten the eyes of his servants.”
Advent is a season of sight — a time when God teaches us to see again. Not
simply with physical eyes, but with the eyes of the heart: the eyes that
recognise grace, that perceive meaning, that notice small stirrings of hope.
What blinds us? What dims our spiritual vision?
Fear? Distraction? Routine? Busyness?
Or perhaps simply forgetfulness — forgetting to look for God’s coming?
Today the prophets remind us:
lift your gaze. Watch for light. God is coming with power that transforms.
Practice for Today:
Take one moment to stand outside or near a window. Look toward the light —
dawn, day, or twilight — and pray:
“Lord, enlighten my eyes today.”
