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The Liturgy for the Third Sunday of Advent is full of the friendship of God for his people.  “REJOICE ALWAYS!”, said St. Paul to the Thessalonians.  “REJOICE HEARTLY” in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul”, said the Prophet Isaiah.   In all circumstances GIVE THANKS for this friendship.

God’s friendship. So easy to say, yet so hard at times to accept.   It seems easier accepting God as the Majestic One, the Powerful One, the Disciplinarian, rather than as God, my friend.  How, is it asked, can a human be a friend of God?  Are we ever worthy? 

“YES”, said Jesus, over and over with his birth, his words, his life, his death, his resurrection.  The Son of God consenting to the Father to be born a human like us, people of earth, so that the experience of the friendship of the one we call Almighty God would be humanly felt.   The Son of the Almighty while on earth feeling the pain and hurt of rejection, as we do; the Son rejoicing when his advice was taken and his words were believed, as we do; the Son feeling sorrow at the death of a friend, as we do; the Son in tears begging the Father not to ask such a death of him, as we do. 

Tonight, before sleep takes over, mediate on the personal ways you and God have shared and are sharing life as true friends.