I am the Lord your God Who grasp your right hand It is I who say to you Fear not I will help you The afflicted and needy seek water in vain their tongues are parched with thirst I the Lord will answer them I their God will not forsake them

The Lord is the eternal God Creator of the ends of the earth He does not faint nor grow weary and His knowledge is beyond our full grasp He gives strength to the fainting He makes the weak vigorous They who hope in the Lord will renew their strength they will soar as with eagles wings the

All the readings anticipate something present but not tangibly so--even something powerfully active though not sensed in the ordinary ways The Isaiah voice Mary in the canticle response Paul in the second reading and John the Baptist in the Gospel all address hearers their original partners and

Comfort give comfort and speak tenderly to My people says our God Go and cry out fearlessly at the top of your voice Here is your God Here comes with power the Lord God Who rules by His strong arm like a shepherd He feeds His flock in His arms He gathers the lambs carrying them in His bosom

The agony of Jesus is finished as is his exhortation to watch and pray Now Mark asks his reader to contemplate the second part of the garden incident Jesus arrest The ones doing the arresting are not soldiers of the Roman army they are the Jewish public custodians of order in the Temple a

In our third Advent video reflection Fr Jim Martin considers the virtues of of St Joseph