Come Lord Jesus Series; Tuesday Third Week of Advent

 Come Lord Jesus Series.

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Tuesday — Third Week of Advent (Year A)

Entrance Antiphon:

“The Lord will come and He will not delay;

He will illumine what is hidden in darkness

and reveal Himself to all nations.”

(cf. Habakkuk 2:3; 1 Corinthians 4:5)

(This is one of those antiphons that appears again later in Advent — the repetition is intentional.)

Reflection

As Advent moves closer to its fulfilment, today’s antiphon addresses one of the quiet anxieties that often surfaces in waiting: Is God taking too long?
Into that unspoken question, the liturgy speaks with clarity and reassurance: “The Lord will come and He will not delay.” God’s timing is not hesitant, careless, or forgetful. What feels like delay to us is often preparation — the slow work of grace unfolding beneath the surface.

Advent teaches us that waiting is not wasted time. It is forming time. God comes at the moment when hearts are ready to receive Him — not when everything is resolved, but when openness has been created. The Lord’s coming is always purposeful, always precise.

Then comes a promise that reaches deep into the interior life:
“He will illumine what is hidden in darkness.”
Darkness in Scripture often represents what is unclear, unresolved, or quietly troubling. There are parts of our lives we do not fully understand — patterns we cannot explain, questions without answers, emotions we struggle to name. Advent assures us that God’s light is not threatened by these hidden places. Christ comes precisely to illuminate, not to condemn; to reveal truth gently, not to overwhelm.

And the revelation is not only personal — it is universal:
“He will reveal Himself to all nations.”
Advent’s horizon is always wide. God’s coming is never small or exclusive. What He does in individual hearts is part of His greater work of drawing the whole world toward Himself. Every small illumination, every quiet conversion, every moment of clarity belongs to that larger movement of grace.

As Christmas draws nearer, the Church reminds us that the Lord’s coming brings light — steady, faithful, and timely. Nothing essential is delayed. Nothing important is forgotten.

Practice for Today:
Name one situation that feels unresolved or unclear.
Pray simply:
“Lord, come without delay.
Shine Your light where I cannot yet see.”