Third Sunday of Advent

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December 17, 2023 Christ-Child of the Covenant: The Stable’s Message of Fulfillment

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” —Psalm 89:3-4


One of the most important promises God ever made is his covenant with the house and line of David—a covenant fulfilled at Christmas, when God sent his firstborn Son to be the highest of the kings of the earth.

Scripture is filled with many ancient prophecies that also foretell the fulfillment of this covenant, such as Isaiah 9:6-7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder….”

To sustain a life of faith, it is vital that we learn how to proclaim to others—and also to ourselves—the promises of God. Our inner voices are the most important preachers we will ever hear, for the messages they carry are conveyed instantly to our souls.

So let us be careful what we say! We should avoid focusing as much as we often do on complaints about other people or destroying our spirits with savage self-criticism.

Instead, let us keep preaching the gospel to ourselves. By doing so, we remember that we are, in the eyes of God, beloved, beautiful, forgiven, and destined for glory.

And let us keep repeating the promise of the Christ-Child of the Covenant, whose birth within the humble walls of the stable was the fulfillment of the greatest promise ever made—the royal promise of the King of Kings.


Reflection: How can we reduce our complaints and criticisms of ourselves and others, and what messages should we communicate instead?


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