"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage" (Psalm 27:14)
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this Sunday we commemorate the Holy Forefathers of Christ. We do so every year on the second Sunday before the Nativity of Christ, which means Christmas is just around the corner!
This year our plans and preparations may be different. No hustle and bustle of crowds at the mall. Shopping is more “online” than ever before. Even family gatherings, as we are instructed by the scientists and doctors, ought to be curtailed. With all this Coronavirus stuff, it is way too easy to lose patience…with one another, with the experts, with our civil leaders, with our loved ones, and so on. Perhaps we should take a lesson from the paramount Forefather of Christ: Abraham.
Abraham received a promise from God and was tested for a very long time before he was rewarded. He waited on the Lord for years but never lost faith in God and His promise. He could have been frustrated, but he never lost his patience. His was tested by Satan through temptation to lose faith, by his wife Sarah with her worry, impatience, and anguish, and by other people through their jealousy, distrust and opposition to him. Yet, he never lost faith and remained steadfast in the Lord. He knew God was his deliverance. Ultimately, after many years of facing hardship, difficulties, temptations, he received the promise of the Lord and became the father, even in his and Sarah's old age. Abraham is the epitome of patience, our example par excellence.
What a great lesson for us today after we have been dealing with this virus now for nearly a year. Especially with Christmas approaching, it tries our patience. Yet, the example of Abraham teaches us to remain patient and calm. The world we live in wants quick and easy solutions: an instant cure; quick fixes; instant gratification; even cheep grace. However, we too must wait on the Lord and never lose faith.
Abraham's life condemns a spirit of impatience and frustration. His example admonishes those who complain and grouse. Through the life of Abraham, we learn that those who are patient and faithful to God are rewarded. When we feel we are being put to the test and at wits end, we should—as did Abraham—turn to God in prayer. Ironically, though, it seems most difficult to turn to God when we need Him most, when we distance ourselves even from His Church. So, we become irritated, resentful, or impatient. So, I would say, force yourself into a patient spirit.
The Nativity Fast is our opportunity to slow down, to meditate and pray. We are anticipating the greatest miracle in human history: God becoming man, the Virgin Birth, the birth of the Christ Child in the manger. Be patient and trust in Him. He will be there for us who “wait on the Lord.”
As the Prophet Isaiah said, “It will be said on that day, ‘Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’”