This anonymous prayer very succinctly captures the spirit of Advent and expresses the deep spiritual longing and anticipation that lies at the heart of this time. It echoes the ancient Christian prayer Maranatha” (“Come, Lord!”), which is traditionally associated with Advent, the season of waiting for Christ’s coming. It also reflects Christian hope in the coming of Christ at the end of time. Added to this the words of the prayer express hope on a personal level, of Christ coming into one’s heart, of being a real presence in one’s daily life influencing our thoughts, actions and how we relate to others. Finally it expresses the hope of Christ bringing light to the world in these troubled times.
Our Advent prayer is “Lord, come!”
Lord, come — into our world!
Lord, come — into our lives!
Lord, come — and purify our longings!
Lord, come — to free us from our compulsions and sins!
Lord, come — into our relationships!
Lord, come — into our work!
Lord, come — into our sufferings!
And into the darkness of our troubled world
We hope you will take time to meditate on this heartfelt prayer in this time of expectant waiting and hope in God’s coming to heal and renew all things.