2nd Week of Advent 2025 - Wednesday - God's promise of renewal

In the first reading, God promises strength for his people. Isaiah says, “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings: They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”

To Isaiah’s original audience, this promise was not a vague spiritual encouragement. It was a concrete proclamation spoken into one of the darkest chapters of Israel’s history. Recall that this promise was being given to a people exiled in Babylon. The Jews had lost their land, lost their Temple, lost their monarchy, lost their identity as a nation, and wondered if God had abandoned them. They were a defeated people with no political leverage and no military strength. They experienced the exhaustion of futile existence and defeat.

But to these people, God assured them: I will restore you, I will rejuvenate you. Your defeat will not get the final word. Hope in the Lord, he will come for you. God remains faithful despite appearances. 

Throughout Advent, we read these promises from Isaiah to understand the spiritual state of humanity awaiting the savior. Israel’s exile was the consequence of their persistent unfaithfulness—idolatry, injustice, hard-heartedness. The loss of the Temple, the land, the kingship, and the city was not just political—it was identity-shattering.

The promises of Isaiah are not just significant for historical Israel, but for all of humanity. God would restore what was lost through sin, he would restore dignity, identity, mission, renewing the human heart enabling us to become the people God made us to be. 

In the Gospel today, Jesus identifies himself as the one who brings the strength and rejuvenation Israel and all of humanity longed for. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Rest. Rejuvenation. New strength. Renewal. Jesus is the answer to humanities longing. He is the font of new life.

We know how the burdens of life and the demands of mission of the Gospel can be quite demanding and exhausting. Raising a family in the faith, being faithful to the demands of our particular vocation, caring for the poor in all the ways God is calling us, fighting against temptation and worldly distraction. Sharing the Gospel to a world that mocks us, hates us, persecutes us. The Christian pilgrimage can be exhausting.

But during Advent, we are to take the time to renew our hope and trust in the Lord, quieting down, turning away from worldly distraction, so that we can be rejuvenated, strengthened when the Lord comes. 

The Christian life isn’t just about gritting our teeth, relying on our own talents, pushing through on our own, but learning to hope in the Lord in times of difficulty. Those who hope in the Lord will be strengthened. Those who turn to the Lord will have strength for the long haul, strength to do small things with great love, strength to embrace great challenges, for the building up of the Church, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls

 

Trusting in the God who renews the strength of His people and who calls us to find rest in Him, let us offer our prayers.

That during this Advent season, the Church may deepen her hope in the Lord and draw renewed strength from Christ, who restores what sin has broken, and for renewal in our parish.

That all who serve the poor, fight against injustice, experience Christian persecution or witness to the Gospel in difficult environments may receive fresh strength from the Lord to continue doing good without growing weary.

That parents, spouses, and caregivers, may be strengthened by God’s grace to persevere with patience, love, and hope amid life’s demands.

For all of the sick, and that those who feel burdened, defeated, or forgotten—may find renewal in Christ.

That all who have walked the pilgrimage of faith and now rest from their labors may rejoice in the fullness of the Kingdom prepared for them.

God of strength, You renew the hearts of those who hope in You. Hear the prayers we place before You and grant us the grace to find in Christ our rest, our renewal, and our salvation. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

2nd Week of Advent 2024 - Wednesday - Strength and rest for the weary

 Yesterday, we began reading from chapter 40 of Isaiah and  we heard God’s promise of comfort and renewal to a people who had endured long seasons of exile and suffering. Today, the Word of God continues that message. 

The reading even began acknowledging our doubts.  “Why, O Jacob, do you say… ‘My way is hidden from the LORD’?” 

Sometimes life is so difficult we feel like we have been overlooked or forgotten by the One who created us. Yet, in the midst of doubt, God directs His people’s eyes upward: “Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things.” Before we allow fear or despair to have the final word, we must remember who God is: the Eternal Creator of the ends of the earth, who does not grow tired or weary. His strength is inexhaustible, and His knowledge is beyond our understanding.

Isaiah reminds the faint-hearted that if they hope in the LORD, they will “renew their strength” and “soar as with eagles’ wings.” What a powerful image! Eagles, known for soaring above storm clouds, teach us that placing our hope in God gives us the grace not merely to endure hardship but to rise above it. In a world that often leaves us depleted—emotionally, physically, and spiritually—God’s promise stands: if you trust in Him, you will find new vigor to run without growing weary, to walk without fainting.

Our Gospel continues this theme in perhaps the most comforting promises in all of the Gospels: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Here is the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise. The same God who promised new strength to the weary now speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, saying, “Come,” and we discover that the comfort Isaiah proclaimed is no longer just a future hope. In Jesus, comfort is a present reality. He invites anyone struggling under heavy burdens—worry, grief, guilt, loneliness—to bring those burdens to Him. When we accept His invitation, the endless striving that leaves us exhausted begins to give way to rest in His loving arms.

Additionally, Jesus encourages us, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” The “yoke” here means choosing a life aligned with Jesus, guided by His teachings, His virtues, His way of love. In ancient farming, a yoke paired a stronger, more experienced animal with a weaker one. The stronger bore the weight and guided the weaker. In the same way, Jesus is that stronger partner who carries the weight we cannot carry alone. Because He is humble and gentle, drawing near to Him does not crush us; it makes our burdens lighter. Under Christ’s guidance, what seemed impossible to bear can become manageable because we are no longer carrying it by ourselves.

During this Advent season of waiting and longing, we consider the ways that we long for the Lord’s strength to become manifest in our lives. And the scriptures resound clearly, in that waiting, seek the Lord all the more, to uplift, renew, and strengthen. 

During Advent, we are not waiting for an idea or a philosophy. We are awaiting a person—Emmanuel, “God with us.” In our weariness, may we come to discover more deeply his comfort, strength, forgiveness, and rest for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Confident in God’s never-failing presence and strength, we bring before Him our prayers for the Church, for the world, and for all in need.

That, during this season of Advent, the Church may echoes God’s invitation to all people to “lift up their eyes” to God, especially in times of difficulty and doubt.

For world leaders and those in positions of authority: That they may govern with wisdom, compassion, and a spirit of service, working tirelessly to relieve the burdens of the poor, the oppressed, and the weary. 

For those who labor under heavy burdens—illness, grief, worry, or guilt:

That they may discover in Jesus their strong partner who carries the weight they cannot bear alone, granting them strength and peace.

For those who have died: That they may find eternal rest in God’s loving embrace, especially N.

Heavenly Father, You are the Eternal God who neither grows weary nor fails in love. Hear the prayers we bring to You today. Grant us the grace to trust in Your unfailing care, that we may find rest, strength, and hope in You. Through Christ, our Lord.