DAILY REFLECTION: December 4, 2006

The word we need to keep in mind today: "come." It is a word of the Advent days. "Come to the Christmas party!" "Come by the house during the holidays!" In the Isaiah reading for today we read "Come, let us climb the Lord's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob...." The word is one of invitation. So, I believe, we need to ask what the Lord is inviting us to this Advent season. Perhaps to our nation there is the invitation to turn our weapons of war into instruments of peace and growth ... especially in Iraq and Lebanon, in Palestine and Israel, in the various parts of Africa where there is great strife. Perhaps it is an invitation from God to right our own lives order is needed. Perhaps it is the invitation to deepen our relationship with our God, with Jesus. Perhaps it is an invitation to evaluate how we deal with those who are closest to us: spouses, children, relatives, employees or employers. Perhaps it is an invitation to consider how we respect those who have different points of view ... it is so easy to point fingers at nations who are involved in a large-scale conflict. How about how we deal with those around us, those we encounter every day? Yes, it is some much easier to fault the wrongs of those who are distant. I say to all, "Come, let us climb whatever mountain it is that Jesus is inviting you to climb during this season of Advent.