On the first day of each week of Advent, Seeing the Word will post an illumination paired with an audio reading of the associated Scripture passage. The subsequent days will feature one of the six movements of visio divina: Listening, Meditating, Seeing, Praying, Contemplating, and Becoming Christ-like.
WEEK two•DAY five
Messianic Predictions
Isaiah 7:13-14, 9:6-7
Messianic Predictions, Thomas Ingmire, Copyright 2005, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Praying
The first gift we were given besides our breath was our name.
And so, dear God, we lift up our souls and cry out,
“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.”
The winds hush us, encouraging us to bundle up, to wait and be patient, to long,
although the world we live in says, “Hurry! Shop! Keep busy!”
Give us the boldness to grow continually
and to keep on asking you what we most desire.
As our world pains from distresses like terrorism, fear and uncertainty
give our hearts that deep comfort,
as deep as the indigos of Advent sunrises,
and the abiding peace, which you alone can fill for eternity.
Anchor us with your love and grace in our moments of fragility.
As we recall your coming as a child, of spirit meeting flesh,
help us to see you in the beggar on the corner,
the refugee, the outcast, the lonely, the hopeless and the doubter.
Let us await with joyful expectation
those moments that call us out of our ordinary
into moments where a glimmer of your heavenly kingdom shines through
and we share in the foretaste of heavenly joy.
May our broken world turn towards you,
aching for that bearer of hope and restorer of spirit.
May we be like Mary, willing servants
who say yes to bear your image and likeness,
and be healing balm for our communities.
May we also be like Joseph,
who dreamed dreams and helped accomplish the plan of salvation.
And so with Advent hope,
may we be powerfully transformed
to continue sharing the love and presence you have promised.
May we come to Christmas,
and all the days of our lives,
with hearts filled with the light that can bring peace.
This we ask through Jesus, Emmanuel,
and through your many and holy names, now and forever.
Amen.
John Michael Reyes is a Campus Minister at Santa Clara University. He received a Master of Divinity degree from the Graduate Theological Union (JST and FST). Prior to SCU, he worked as Liturgist and Chapel Coordinator at Seattle University. Additionally, in recent years, he has served as a liturgy coordinator for the annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. He hopes to be able to study at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary some day.