and come to our help with mighty strength,
that what our sins impede
the grace of Your mercy may hasten.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever."
one God, for ever and ever."
-- Collect, from Week I of Advent
Here we are, beseeching the Lord that His power and His mighty strength might enter our lives in the form of mercy, and that this Divine Mercy might bring about by the miracle of grace the transformation of our lives by overcoming all our efforts to stop it.
Hasten (bring even more quickly) the very thing that our sins impede (the thing we try so hard to push away, run from, or ignore). Bring about by the grace of Your mercy that relationship of fulfillment for which our hearts were made, but which we cannot achieve or even understand by our own power.
I think I want to hold onto my own power and remain within the limits of what I can achieve, but He has already placed within me a deeper desire; His grace has already awakened within me the desire to be brought beyond myself to know and love Him.
This mysterious game that I play with God.
I want me to lose. I want Jesus to win.
Dear Jesus, defeat my selfishness, break down my pride, outwit my foolishness. Jesus, win me for Yourself! Make me the person You will me to become in Your wisdom and redeeming love.
