Daily Meditation for December 19, 2024

“Waiting is a period of learning. The longer we wait, the more we hear about him for whom we are waiting” (Henri Nouwen). Advent is all about waiting: waiting for Christmas and the celebration of Christ’s birth and waiting for the Second Coming. It’s also about coming to an understanding of what the waiting itself offers. It’s a time to step back, not simply rush toward Christmas, and to ask ourselves, “Who is this Jesus for whom we are waiting?” “What does His birth signify?” “What is the Second Coming and am I ready for it?” The liturgical season of Advent is the Church’s way of inviting us to take time to reflect on these matters, to deepen our relationship with the Christ for whom we wait. In our darkness, we are given an opportunity to focus on the light of Christ and, as we focus, to experience Christ’s light illuminating our path more clearly.

By Karen Rose, OSB