Last week my nine-year-old grandson left a sweatshirt at school.  His mother reminded him that that was an expensive sweatshirt and he needed to remember his clothes.  Grandson said, “Oh mom you know how I am.”  Mom said, “you’re a smart kid and if you know yourself that well, you can then try not to forget.”  The next day grandson came home with three sweatshirts he had left a school.

What my daughter did was like the work of the Holy Spirit who is our helper and “teaches us all things and brings to remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

The lessons for this 2^nd week in Advent all contain reference to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 11:1-10, The Spirit of the Lord, whose wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and fear will rest upon the shoot coming forth from the stump of Jesse will enable him to judge in the favor of the poor, the meek against the power of the wicked.

Paul in Romans 15:4-13 ties in the conversion of the Gentiles to Christ, with the coming forth of the root of Jesse.  He is the hope of the Gentiles.  In the power of the Holy Spirit the Gentiles will abound in hope.

WE meet John the Baptist in the Gospel lesson, (Matthew 3:1-12) who comes baptizing for repentance in anticipation of Christ, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, which is fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

Thus, we prayed today, “Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”