“In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (cf Luke 1:78-79).
This promise of the Holy Spirit is spoken by the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah, as his ability to speak has returned to him after he confirmed that his son, as Elizabeth stated was to be called John. This evening at the Christmas Vigil we will begin to celebrate whaat we have been preparing all Advent to celebrate – the fulfillment of those beautiful words. The fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Judges, David, and the Prophets. We will celebrate that the Son of God is Emmanuel, God with us. He is the fulfillment of the promises preserved in the Old Testament and he is to be a light to the nations.
The words of Luke were as relevant to those he wrote to in his day as they are to us as well in our day. God’s tender compassion has surrounded us and has been a part of us since before our conception. He knows the number of hairs on our head and he knows each one of us by name. Totally transcendent, infinite beyond our beyond our wildest imagination, comprehension, beyond all space and time, while at the same time, God knows each one of us more intimately than we know ourselves. He cares for us, guides us, and invites us to experience his joy and the fulfillment of who he has created us to be.
The ultimate love that God expresses is that he invites us to be in relationship with him and we are given the choice to say “no” or “yes”. He gives us the freedom to choose anything but him. Some would say, he should just make us follow him. That would not be love, but oppression and tyranny. The invitation to receive the light of God is a gentle one, and when we say “yes”, he enters our life and begins to heal and transform us from within to the level and pace we are willing to accept. The choice remains, we can recede back into the darkness or continue to walk into his brilliant light.
When we accept the invitation of relationship and follow God’s guidance we will better be able to identify the darkness and the lies of the enemy that cloud our discernment and keep us from experiencing the fullness of his grace. Choosing to allow the light to dawn in every aspect of our being, our wounds, our prejudices, our defense mechanisms, our false comforts, all those areas where we deny the truth or where we are supporting false realities or apparent goods, will help us to let go of unhealthy attachments so that we will be free to receive his light and love.
May we continue to repent and prepare our hearts and minds as we celebrate the gift of the incarnation one more time. Let us, “who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,” not hide or withdraw from God’s invitation, and instead walk into the “dawn from on high,” so that God may “guide our feet into the way of peace.” The closer we are to God, the more we experience his love and his peace, that peace that surpasses all understanding, and having received, then we are better able to share his love, light, and peace with others each day of the Christmas season and into the new year.
Photo: Morning Rosary walk experiencing the dawn from on high at the end of a winter retreat back in January, 2023.
Spiritual Stepping Stones