Come Lord Jesus Series
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Advent Wreath: Come Lord Jesus Series Icon |
“Behold, the Lord will come, descending with splendour
to visit His people with peace,
and He will bestow eternal life on those who wait for Him.”
(cf. Isaiah 30:19, 30)
Reflection
Today’s antiphon draws our hearts
into the radiant promise of Advent: “Behold, the Lord will come, descending
with splendor.” Advent is filled with small, quiet images — a sprouting
shoot, a gentle shepherd, a flicker of dawn — but every now and then the
liturgy reminds us that the One we await is also the Lord of glory. Christ
comes in humility at Bethlehem, but He also comes in splendour at the end of
time. Advent holds both truths in a single, shimmering tension.
Isaiah’s vision invites us not
only to believe in the Lord’s coming but to behold it — to let the
imagination of faith lift our gaze beyond the ordinary. “Descending with
splendour” hints at the divine majesty that bends toward the world, not to
overwhelm but to illuminate. God does not remain aloof. He chooses to come
close, clothed in mercy and majesty, carrying the fullness of peace.
And that is the next promise: “to
visit His people with peace.”
Peace in Scripture is never merely the absence of conflict. It is the
restoration of right order — a deep inner harmony born from knowing that God is
near and faithful. When God visits His people, peace is not just given; it settles.
It comes as a gift that quiets the anxious heart, reconciles what is fractured,
and strengthens what feels fragile.
Finally, the antiphon speaks
directly to those who wait: “He will bestow eternal life on those who wait
for Him.” Waiting, in Advent spirituality, is not passive. It is a posture
of hope, a readiness of heart, a willingness to trust the God who acts in His
time. Those who wait in faith receive not only peace in the present but the
fullness of life that stretches into eternity.
Advent invites us to wait as
people of splendour and people of peace — confident that the God who comes will
not disappoint. His descent is not a threat but a blessing. His nearness is
life.
Practice for Today:
Pause throughout today and pray slowly:
“Lord, visit me with Your peace.
Teach me to wait with hope.”
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