Wednesday after Rorate coeli, the Fourth Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 23, 2020 by under
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 (NKJV)
2:6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
Devotion
The Festival of St. Thorlak Thorhallson of Iceland is celebrated on the day of his death in the year 1193 AD. December 23rd is the last day of preparations before the Vigil of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, as is reflected in today’s Collect. We turn our attention away from Advent preparations to the feast of our Lord’s birth. That our Lord Jesus would take upon Himself our flesh and humble Himself to be a part of His creation does not fit the wisdom of the world.
St. Paul wrote in his first epistle to the Church at Corinth that they spoke wisdom, but not the wisdom of the world. This wisdom was ordained from before the foundations of the world. It was the Lord God’s plan all along to be a part of His creation. The world leads one to believe that the Lord God’s plan was messed up by the sin of Adam and Eve, and then He had to come up with a way to fix it. But the plan of man’s salvation through the incarnation of the Lord God is part of His divine power, which is revealed according to His holy Mysteries. This is the wisdom which St. Paul preached and the wisdom we will soon celebrate.
Prayer: Merciful God, graciously look upon Thy Church here on Earth. Strengthen Thy congregation and give Thy Church comfort and peace. Teach the leaders of Thy Church to unite against all obstacles to Thy Word. Guide those who are tempted. Comfort those who suffer any want of body or soul. Prepare Thy congregation to make ready to sincerely and faithfully celebrate the holy feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
