Word to the Wise
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 - 2nd Week of Advent - Wed
[Isa 40:25-31 and Matt 11:28-30]The Lord is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound. Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. [Isaiah] "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." [Matthew[
DECEMBER 7 ST. AMBROSE (bishop and doctor of the church)
One of my favorite expressions in speaking to students who find themselves "stressed out" by all the demands of the combination of academic, social and work life that characterize their existence is "put your faith to work for you!" Isaiah is speaking to a people in exile, challenging them to see that their faith in God can bring them hope in the present and future. HIs words seem to speak of a renewed energy for a long term task. Jesus' words speak also of relief from some of the burdens (the Law of Moses was commonly called a "yoke" because of its demands) of life. In both cases, it is a matter of recognizing the gifts that God offers that are available and taking advantage of them.
Traditional Catholic belief speaks of the three "theological virtues" of faith, hope and love. These are not mere abstractions but valuable resources in meeting the challenges of life, whether they be of childhood, college days or raising a family and finding satisfaction in work. Faith in God's providential care and ultimate love is what can give us hope to meet each challenging day. I often read a blog written by Catholic moms for Catholic moms entitled MIGHTY IS HER CALL [<mightyishercall.com>] that reaches out to moms struggling with the vocation of motherhood and its demands. I'm sure there could be others that offer the same encouragement in other vocational areas. It is a matter of "putting one's faith to work" so that both the energy and rest we need are available. Life becomes meaningless without faith, hope or love. The whole point of Advent is to call our attention to what God is offering to us in the birth of Jesus. We cannot afford to live without faith that enables us to reach out in love and find hope for living another day. AMEN