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Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;but the Lord will arise upon you,and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (Isaiah 60:1-6)
We just finished, most of us anyway, the season of homecoming. Christmas and Thanksgiving in our country are those days when families try to come together to celebrate the holiday and to celebrate each other. Parents longs to see their children; grandparents long to see their grandchildren; and most siblings long to see each other. Israel was no exception. Their history had events that separated many from each other and from places they loved. Some left Israel by force, carried off as prisoners; some found life easier in other countries. I believe most longed to return. The prophet sees the day when God's light would come and shine upon them and in turn, they would shine God's light on others, and it could come during a time of darkness; the glory of the Lord would be needed to be seen after many years of not having it. This was the visit of the Magi as they were led by the star; the birth of the Messiah would further the light and it would call people together once again; "your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms." And as prophesied, the Magi did "bring gold and frankincense, and " did "proclaim the praise of the Lord."
That joy continues and should be part of our motivation and drive to continue to share the Good News with those still in darkness; those separated from God - God's act in Jesus served to bring all together for one purpose.
Find the ones not yet present for this homecoming, and invite them in!
PRAYER: Lord of the Homecoming, Lord of great Light; shine upon us and guide us to those who need to be brought home. Bring us in if we have strayed; use us all to share the Good News of Your love; this we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Shine a light on your smile today on those who may be in darkness.
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Requests: Pray for Bob Cowan as he recovers from surgery; his discomfort prevents him from receiving visitors, but does request prayers for healing. Prayers for those having consultation with doctors today, as they seek hope for ailments that have shown up in their lives.
