Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12a, 13b
I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Light in the Darkness
The time change this year felt more jolting than usual. 4:30pm has felt like midnight this whole month. I always use the day after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas and this year, to counteract the darkness, we added so many different sources of light in our Christmas decorations. These many light sources give me so much joy in the midst of dark afternoons and evenings. This influx of light in the darkness reminds me of the words of the psalmist: “but with the dawn, rejoicing”. God provides light to us in the midst of dark times and our response should be gratitude and joy. We are told to give thanks but also to sing praise.
In what way can you express your gratitude for God’s grace this Advent season? What has been an unexpected source of light in the midst of the darkness? How can you share that experience of grace with others?
—Kay Gregg is the Assistant Department Chair for Campus Ministry at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois.
Prayer
We are the light of the world,
may our light shine before all,
That they may see the good that we do,
and give glory to God.
—Refrain of “We Are The Light of The World” by Jean Anthony Greif ©1966