The Incarnation and the Exultation: An Advent Devotional - Tuesday, Second Week of Advent - The Redeemer and Judge
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Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:4-5
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:13–16
From eternity, God knew exactly who we were meant to be. When we were in our mothers’ wombs, God carefully, lovingly, and purposefully fashioned us into who we would become in Christ. Every day of our lives, every stumble and step of faith, has been entered in his heavenly book. The mystery of our lives is no mystery to the Almighty.
We have been saved by Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. In him, we have been given a sacred calling and a holy purpose for our lives. We have been set on a path to perfection — to completeness — as we live out this divine plan. Our task is to answer this call and walk the journey of salvation from the cradle to the grave. We are to live out the promises of our baptism, growing in our salvation day by day as we become the men we were made to be, and look forward to the fullness of our salvation at the resurrection.
As we receive Christ’s fullness each day, we can let it spill out in our actions of love toward others. As we participate in the sacraments and the life of the Church, we will become a sign of the mighty work of God, the One who forms us for heaven, as we reach out in acts of love to others in his name.
Questions for Reflection
What does it mean to you to be “wondrously made” by God?
Where do you see the fullness of your salvation being manifested in your life as you carry out your purpose, which God has written in his heavenly book?
How will you allow this great truth — that we are wonderfully made in the depths of God’s love — to shape the way you share God’s love with others, particularly other men, today?
Praying with Scripture
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Col 2:9–10)
You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE
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Mark C. McCann is an author and Ministry Consultant with more than 30 years of writing and ministry experience. He has published articles for a number of Catholic magazines and websites including St. Anthony Messenger, Emmanuel Magazine, Liguorian Magazine, Catholic Stand, the Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He recently published the 4-volume Catholic men's devotional, To the Ends of the Earth, as well as the 2021 Advent Daybreaks devotional and 2022 Lenten Daybreaks devotional with Liguori Publishing. He has also released his End Times novel series, Jacob's Dream: The Vision and Jacob's Dream: The Final Battle. He was a radio host and producer for 8 years at a Connecticut Christian radio station and has worked as a Catholic religion teacher/campus minister and a parish youth minister. He has also served the Norwich, CT Diocese as a Youth Ministry Director and Family Life Director. He currently lives in Connecticut with his Proverbs 31 wife, where together they have brought up three incredible children. He strives each day to live out his call to be a man of words. You can learn more about Mark and his writing at www.wordsnvisions.com.
