Advent Reflections
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2022
By Anna Gaby ’25
The Gospel and Responsorial Psalms from today’s readings emphasize the importance of living by a strong faith. The Responsorial Psalm says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?” God is a source of goodness and protection. Through faith, His light will guide us and His salvation will deliver us to Him. It is only when we let our faith slip that the light begins to dim and hope wanes. It is certainly hard to maintain a strong faith, especially in a world that tries to pull the faithful away from God. It is in those times of worry, doubt, and fear – when God feels the least present – that turning to Him is all the more important. God does not give cause for worry, fear, or doubt. Worldly things and things that aren’t from God are what cause those feelings. Trusting in God – having faith – will never give us a reason to fear.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asked two blind men if they thought that He could heal them, and the men responded that they thought He could. Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done to you according to your faith” and the blind men could see. The two men, quite literally blindly, chose to follow Jesus and put their trust in Him, and were healed because of their faith. This story can be interpreted as a metaphor; we are blind, but complete faith will allow us to see. It can be scary to give up control and live by faith alone. However, having faith in God, putting his will above our own, and trusting that He will take care of us, brings such a profound sense of peace and freedom. This Advent season, a time of peace, love, joy, and hope, let us put our faith in God alone, trust in the plan that He has for us, and fear nothing, knowing that He will take care of us.