Come Lord Jesus Series.
 |
Advent Wreath: Come Lord Jesus Series Icon |
Entrance Antiphon:
“Come, O Lord, visit us in peace,
that we may rejoice before You with a blameless heart.”
(cf. Psalm 24:3; Psalm 85:8)
Reflection
Today’s antiphon is a prayer as
simple as it is profound: “Come, O Lord, visit us in peace.” Throughout
Advent, we hear promise after promise of God's coming, but here the Church
places on our lips the humble plea that comes from the heart of every believer:
Lord, come to us personally. Come into my life, my home, my struggles, my
fears. Come into the very places where I long for Your peace.
The word “visit” evokes a deeply
biblical image. When God “visits” His people, it is never a casual stopping-by.
Divine visitation means God intervenes — He restores, rescues, renews, heals,
reorders, and blesses. Think of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth: the moment
Mary entered the room, the presence of Christ caused joy to leap forth. So too
in Advent, when we pray for God to visit us, we are asking for His presence to
awaken joy, dissolve fear, and knit our hearts back together.
The antiphon continues: “that
we may rejoice before You with a blameless heart.” This is not a demand for perfection but
an invitation to purity of desire. A “blameless heart” in Scripture is a heart
turned toward God — a heart that seeks Him above all else. Advent is the season
that purifies our longing, burns away distractions, and draws us back to what
truly matters. The more we allow God to visit us, the more the heart becomes
whole, simple, steady — and capable of rejoicing in His presence.
There is also a subtle movement
in this prayer: we ask God to come in peace, and the fruit of that
coming is joy. Peace and joy always travel together. When peace enters,
joy awakens. Advent teaches us to stop looking for joy in frantic activity or
emotional highs; real joy flows from the quiet assurance that God is near and
all shall be well.
Today’s antiphon turns Advent
into a simple but profound prayer:
Come, Lord. Visit me. Bring peace. Restore joy.
Practice for Today:
In a quiet moment throughout the day, pray slowly:
“Lord, visit me in peace today.”
Let this prayer settle into your heart as you prepare for the Second Week of
Advent.
Week One of Advent — A Short
Reflection & Review
The first week of Advent has led
us step by step into the mystery of God’s nearness and God’s coming.
We began with the upward movement
of the soul — “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul” — and moved through
days that spoke of light breaking into darkness, God revealing Himself, God
visiting His people, and God teaching us to wait with hope. The week invited us
to awaken desire, trust His timing, listen for His voice, sense His closeness,
and allow His peace to settle into the heart.
Advent is not a season we simply
observe; it is a season that shapes us from within. And so, at the end of this
first week, the Church gently asks us to pause and look back — not with
heaviness, but with honesty. Where has God visited you? Where have you sensed
light, or longing, or peace? And where do you feel resistance, distraction, or
spiritual fatigue?
Advent is patient. God does not
rush the heart. But He does invite us to grow in readiness.
Before we step into Week Two,
take a quiet moment to review:
Spiritual Review Question for Week One:
How has the Lord been
drawing me this week,
What small change do I need to make so that I can
meet Him more attentively in the coming days?
Let the answer be simple.
Let it be gentle.
Let it be honest enough to open my heart a little more to the One who
comes.
No comments:
Post a Comment