A Sunday Thought About the Coming of the Messiah: Where Have You Been?
We've talked about Advent and "waiting."
From the time that Adam and Eve sinned until the birth of Jesus, many centuries passed.
Over the course of those centuries, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of His Chosen People. He raised up Moses to lead the enslaved Hebrews out of the land of Egypt into the Promised Land. He inspired prophets who foresaw the coming of the Messiah, He who would save His Chosen People and establish the Kingdom of God.
Over and over the Chosen People heard talk of a Messiah. Century after century Israel heard the promise, but the Messiah never came. And yet they persisted in their waiting.
When Jesus finally arrived on that first Christmas night, some of those Chosen People recognized who He was. But most didn't. It's possibly - maybe probably - one of the greatest tragedies in human history. How sad that so many of His own people - the Jews - didn't accept Jesus as the Messiah. But some did.
As we work our way through Advent, we wait, like those who waited for those many centuries, of His coming.
Thinking about all this, it occurred to me that some of those who recognized Jesus Christ as the Messiah, He for whom their ancestor waited over the course of many centuries, may have asked: "Where have You been? I've looked for you forever and a day."
In this spirit, for your prayerful consideration and meditation, here's Kathy Mattea's beautiful song, "Where Have You Been." It's not exactly a traditional Advent hymn, but I do think it captures the right spirit and emotion of those who waited then, and we who wait now.
From the time that Adam and Eve sinned until the birth of Jesus, many centuries passed.
Over the course of those centuries, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of His Chosen People. He raised up Moses to lead the enslaved Hebrews out of the land of Egypt into the Promised Land. He inspired prophets who foresaw the coming of the Messiah, He who would save His Chosen People and establish the Kingdom of God.
Over and over the Chosen People heard talk of a Messiah. Century after century Israel heard the promise, but the Messiah never came. And yet they persisted in their waiting.
When Jesus finally arrived on that first Christmas night, some of those Chosen People recognized who He was. But most didn't. It's possibly - maybe probably - one of the greatest tragedies in human history. How sad that so many of His own people - the Jews - didn't accept Jesus as the Messiah. But some did.
As we work our way through Advent, we wait, like those who waited for those many centuries, of His coming.
Thinking about all this, it occurred to me that some of those who recognized Jesus Christ as the Messiah, He for whom their ancestor waited over the course of many centuries, may have asked: "Where have You been? I've looked for you forever and a day."
In this spirit, for your prayerful consideration and meditation, here's Kathy Mattea's beautiful song, "Where Have You Been." It's not exactly a traditional Advent hymn, but I do think it captures the right spirit and emotion of those who waited then, and we who wait now.
Happy Gaudete Sunday!
Divine Infant of Bethlehem,
come and take birth in our hearts!
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