Friday of the Third Week in Advent

Scripture Readings

I sometimes use the Catholic Youth Bible (NAB, Revised) when preparing and writing these reflections. One of the things I like about it is their “Cultural Connections” sprinkled throughout this bible. Today’s reading from Isaiah (56:1-3a, 6-8) led me to one that I would like to share with you. It is a prayer written by a worker of Peace Market in Korea that speaks to the theme of justice being our responsibility, with the understanding that all life is precious (from “Our Prayer, Your Will Be Done,” Christian Conference of Asia, 1986):

Make us keep the sputtering lantern burning
and not to break a wounded reed.
Make us understand
the secret of eternal life
from the pulse of blood in our veins
and realise the worth of a life
from the movement of a warm heart.
Make us not discriminate
the rich and the poor,
the high and the low,
the learned and the ignorant
those we know well and those we do not know.
Oh!
A human life can’t be exchanged for the whole world
this supreme task of keeping the lives
of the sons and daughters of God.
Let us realise how lovely it is
to feel the burdens of responsibility.

As today’s gospel passage (John 5:33-36) reminds us that John the Baptist was a “burning and shining lamp” for the One greater than him to come, may we keep our lamps burning and shining throughout this Advent season. And if that lantern for justice is at times sputtering, may the light of Christ renew our hearts and commitment to that responsibility, so that we, too, can realize how lovely a burden it truly is. By the grace of God, Amen.

~Eileen Miller