Dilexi Te Advent

God is merciful love, and his plan of love, which unfolds and is fulfilled in history, is above all his descent and coming among us to free us from slavery, fear, sin and the power of death. Addressing their human condition with a merciful gaze and a heart full of love, he turned to his creatures and thus took care of their poverty. Precisely in order to share the limitations and fragility of our human nature, he himself became poor and was born in the flesh like us... Wanting to inaugurate a kingdom of justice, fraternity and solidarity, God has a special place in his heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed, and he asks us, his Church, to make a decisive and radical choice in favour of the weakest.

This Advent I have been leading a small reflection group looking at Dilexi te, Pope Leo's recent document on God's love and ours for those who are poor, vulnerable and excluded. I'm grateful to the person who asked me to do this, as preparing the sessions means I've been reading and re-reading it with far more depth and attention than my initial quick skim when it was first published. In fact, this slender 68-page book has become my Advent reading, with lines like the ones above weaving themselves into my daily prayer, and reading of each day's scripture. 

And for the first time, I have noticed just how much our Advent readings focus us on the poor and oppressed. Time and again, in the psalms, God has been hearing the cry of the poor... healing the broken-hearted... saving the weak... Time and again, in the Gospel, Jesus too has been hearing cries, and reaching out to heal, to nourish, to care... When I looked ahead at the readings for Gaudete Sunday, I immediately noticed that the psalm is rejoicing, yes; in the Lord who does justice to the oppressed... feeds the hungry... sets prisoners free... protects the stranger... upholds the orphan and the widow... (psalm 146). Like Mary in her Magnificat, the psalmist sings in praise of a God who raises up those who are bowed down, and keeps faith forever; a God who has a special place in his heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed.

This is the God in whom we place all our hope!

If you haven't read Dilexi te yet, I recommend it, especially during these days of waiting and preparation for Jesus; for the plenitude and fulfillment of healing, liberating, compassionate and redeeming Love to be born and dwell among us. 

And today the first reading, from Isaiah 40 (1-11), begins with the call to 'Console my people, console them'; words which immediately take me back to my perpetual profession, at which our psalm was a Spanish hymn, Consolad a mi pueblo, with lyrics based on these calls. In English, the first verse and chorus would be...

Console my people,
says the Lord.
Speak to the heart of humanity;
Cry out
that my love has overcome;
Prepare the way,
because your Redeemer comes

I have chosen you to love;
I give you my strength and light to guide.
I am consolation in your gaze.
Glory to God

I wrote about this two years ago, and when I found that blog, I found words I want to share again. There is so much in these lines of scripture and song that our bruised and hurting world needs right now - even more than in 2023! Consolation... and people who can console... Love... and people who know that they have been chosen for love, and are sent to love... Voices which can speak to our individual and collective hearts... People who, throughout their lives, reveal and reflect the glory of God, which is entirely Love.

To console, and to love...and to hope and believe in the God who chooses the poor, and whose love will always overcome... These are the calls accompanying me through this second week of Advent. How can they accompany you, too?