Link to ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒโ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ reading here: https://tinyurl.com/yysjvwjm. โฃ
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๐ฃ๐๐ฎ๐น๐บ ๐ณ๐ต ๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฑ:๐ญ-๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ญ:๐ฏ๐ฐ-๐ฏ๐ดโฃ
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A sublime being entering into a relationship with such a lowly being does no harm to his own reputation, yet raises that other being up from its lowness: this is precisely what was fulfilled in Christ. He did not diminish his divine nature in any way by this lowering of himself, yet we who had been living in darkness and disgrace were raised up to ineffable glory.โฃ
โSt. John Chrysostomโฃ
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At the heart of the Christian faith lies the belief that God sees, loves, and welcomes the forgotten, the marginalized, and the downhearted. In a world that values and celebrates the strong and powerful, time and time again, in word and deed, Jesus reminds us that weakness and humility are the way to glory and the path of lasting peace. In this way, Advent is a persistent reminder of the upside down nature of Godโs kingdom.โฃ
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The lowliness of the Incarnation was foretold long ago. As Micah reminds us, it is from Bethlehem, โone of the little clans of Judah,โ that the true king of Israel will come, one who โshall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD (Mic. 5:2, 4). From these humble origins, Jesus continues to invite us to tend to that which is often overlooked, neglected, and undervalued. Do not be weighed down by the worries of this life (Lk. 21:34), but learn to see the glory of God breaking in all around you. It is the mustard seed that grows to give shade and rest to all who draw near (Mt. 13:31-32). It is yeast, small and unseen, that leavens the entire loaf (Lk. 13:20-21).โฃ
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In a season filled with countless distractions and sources of potential stress, it is easy to ignore the humble hope of Advent and the tender compassion of our Lord. Similarly, we may be tempted to believe that the cares of life are of little interest to our Lord. Surely, he has more important things demanding his time and attention! Yet in the quiet humility of the manger in Bethlehem, we are reminded once again, there is not a single concern that goes unnoticed, nor any sorrow left unhealed.โฃ
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๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธโฃ
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.โฃ
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๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒโฃ
The words that we use in prayer reveal our assumptions about God and how we relate to him. It is for this reason that Jesus teaches us, first and foremost, that God is โOur Father.โ While personal, spontaneous prayers are always appropriate and encouraged, take time today to also pray the words our Lord has taught us to pray (Mt. 6:9-13).โฃ
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