Advent is for listening to God

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the Second Week of Advent, 10 December 2021
Isaiah 48:17-19   ><]]]]*>  +  <*[[[[><   Matthew 11:16-19

Yesterday, dear God our Father,
you reminded us not to be stuck
with the past and instead move
on and look forward to a better
future you have for us; thank you
for telling us today how we can
fulfill your promised prosperity and
blessings to come:

Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea.

Isaiah 48:17-18

Forgive us, loving Father,
for being stubborn, for refusing
to listen with our hearts to 
obey your words; so often, we
are like your people Israel who
who were thrown into exile 
long time ago because of the
hardness of their hearts - they
listened to your words with their
ears but never took them to their
hearts which they followed into
sin; we have abused our freedom
and free will insisting what we want,
believing more to our selves than
obeying you, trusting you.

It is so true that we are like
the children "who sit in the 
marketplace and call to one 
another, 'We played the flute 
for you, but you did not dance, 
we sang a dirge but you did not
mourn'" (Mt.11:16-17):  your Son
Jesus Christ had come, always 
comes daily in our lives, and will
still come in the end of time which 
could be now and yet, we have been
deaf and blind to his presence, to his
mercy, and to his love. 

Teach us, O Lord, this Advent
to listen with our hearts to your
words, accepting them truly and
wholly to incorporate them into
our daily lives and be surprised 
with your plans for us specially 
this Christmas!  Amen.