Advent Reflection - Day 6 - The First Friday of Advent

Your Daily Advent Reflection - Day 6 - First Friday of Advent

A clever person once calculated how long it would take to walk from Egypt to Israel...

Highlights

By Marshall Connolly (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Advent Reflections (https://www.catholic.org/advent/reflections.php)
12/8/2023 (11 months ago)

Published in Christmas / Advent

Keywords: Advent, Reflection, Catholic, prayer, Christmas, Jesus, Christian, candle

A clever person once calculated how long it would take to walk from Egypt to Israel. The answer was just a matter of days. And this is true, in our modern era with paved roads and signs. But it was different for the Bronze Age Israelites who did not enjoy such modern conveniences. 

When the Israelites fled Egypt, they carried their possessions cross-country. They had families in tow, including children and the elderly. They frequently camped in one place for extended periods of time.  They moved slow. Yet, even moving just a few miles per month, it seems unreasonable that the journey might take forty years. Why did it take so long? 

The answer is that the Lord was preparing the Israelites for the gift they were about to receive! The Lord's people were going to be ushered into the Promised Land, and this was a tremendous gift. But it was not to be received lightly. The period of waiting was a period of preparation. 

It's no different for us. Many things we desire require waiting and preparation, so we do not take them for granted or squander them. 

Like the Israelites, we too must wait. We must cultivate the gift of patience. Fortunately, our wait is much shorter than forty years. But our preparations are just as important. 

For reflection, let us take stock of our preparations for receiving the gift of our Savior and His gifts of grace. Are we ready? If not, let us consider what we must to get ready, and act. 

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