December 5th Advent Reflection

Psalm  122:v1, v.6-9

I was glad when they said to me, “let us go into the house of the LORD! “  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you, Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers. For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.

This psalm moved me because of its joy, as the Jewish people were on a pilgrimage to the house of the Lord, i.e., the Jerusalem temple. And it moved me, especially because of its call for peace. I didn’t know when I selected this reading that Israel and Hamas would be in a violent war of hostage taking and responsive destruction. How long will it take for the sake of my relatives and friends to say Peace be within you?

Prayer: May the stirrings of peace be within all factions in Israel as we await the birth of the Prince of Peace.

LO