By Pritam Dangwar csc.
Readings: Is 40: 1-11; Mt 18:12-14
We are in the second week of Advent and the liturgy of the word assures us that we will be comforted and consoled by God always. It also invites us to prepare a way for the Lord who will be coming into our hearts.
In the book of Isaiah, the wilderness could represent the spiritual dryness and absence of spiritual activities that we may experience. We may also have mountains of indifferent attitudes, superiority feelings, and pride that hinder our relationship with God and others. The uneven path or rough places could symbolize the conflicts or difficulties we face with our friends, parents, and people in the neighbourhood. But when we let “Emmanuel”, the God with us to take control of our lives, he will set everything right for us.
Like a shepherd who tends his flock, he will gather the lambs in his arms, and gently leads those that are young. This image of God as a shepherd is echoed in today’s gospel passage, where Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. We can be assured that God will forgive, restore, and save us, through his son Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost. We are invited to remain in his fold by preparing ourselves for living a spiritual life. Let us abide in Jesus, the good shepherd, and let him abide in us, so that we may experience the abundant life that he came to give us.