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Our God is a God-who-comes, do not forget this. Our waiting for him will not be disappointed. The Lord never disappoints.
He will perhaps make us wait in the dark to allow our expectation to ripen, but he never disappoints. …
He came at a precise moment in history and became man to take on our sins. He will come at the end of times as universal judge.
He [also] comes every day to visit [us] in the Word, in the sacraments, in our brothers and sisters.
Jesus, the Bible tells us, is at the door and knocks. Every day. …he is at the door of our heart. He knocks. Do you know how to listen to the Lord who knocks, who has come today to visit you, who knocks at your heart relentlessly, with an idea, with inspiration? Be watchful, look at what you feel in your heart when the Lord knocks.
Each one of us experiences times of disappointment, of failure, and of being lost. Moreover, the situation we are living in, marked by the pandemic, generates worry, fear and discouragement in many people. We run the risk of falling into pessimism, the risk of closing in on ourselves and of apathy.
How should we react in the face of all this? A psalm tells us: Our soul waits for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name (Ps 33:20-21).
That is, the soul confidently waiting for the Lord, allows us to find comfort and courage in the dark moments of our lives. And what gives rise to this courage and this trustful pledge? Where do they come from? They are born of hope. And hope does not disappoint, that virtue that leads us ahead, looking at the encounter with the Lord.
Advent is a continuous call to hope: it reminds us that God is present in history to lead it to its ultimate goal and to lead us to its fullness, which is the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. …
God is not distant. He is always with us, to the extent that very often he knocks on the door of our heart. God walks beside us to support us. The Lord does not abandon us.
He accompanies us through the events of our lives to help us discover the meaning of the journey, the meaning of everyday life, to give us courage when we are under duress or when we suffer.
In the midst of life’s storms, God always extends his hand to us and frees us from threats. This is beautiful!
Excerpted from the pope’s Angelus talk, First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 2020
