Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Today’s reading

Philippians 4:4:1-7

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God that passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:4-7).

Prayer

Come, Lord Jesus. Free our hearts and loose our minds from besetting worries that with full and pure hearts we may prepare to celebrate the feast of your coming among us. We are born to worry as smoke rises. We are finite and mortal. From earliest infancy, there is never a moment when our souls can forget this most fundamental fact. We weep for food, for warmth, for comfort, for protection that already we know we cannot provide for ourselves.

We are fragile creatures. We climb high and travel far in promethean efforts to deny the truth of our frame. But even our greatest triumphs cannot drown out the inner whisper, “You are mortal. You are never enough. You need. You can never secure your life against all you fear. Your existence is ever dependent upon powers that you cannot begin to understand or control.”

From anxieties native to our nature we fly into your arms, O Immeasurable Mercy. For you are life beyond dying. You are Loving Presence when all loves fail. You are hope beyond all human provision. You are joy in the darkest nights of our journey. You are Eternal Gentleness and Infinite Nearness when our vigils are lonely and the days are harsh.

You are Love beyond all knowing and speaking. And you are mine. Is there anything else I really need to know?

So come, Lord Jesus. Show us again that we are yours. This alone frees us from our fears that with full and and grateful hearts we may praise you who came, who will come, and who is Love Abiding. Amen.