First Friday of Advent

Stir up your power, we pray, O Lord, and come, that with you to protect us, we may find rescue from the pressing dangers of our sins, and with you to set us free, we may be found worthy of salvation.

Come, Lord, to show your power and save us from sin! There is, however, something that stands out in this prayer: God is with us. This phrase naturally comes to mind as we move closer to Christmas, for Christ is named “Emmanuel,” which means “God-with-us.” Moreover, today’s prayer uses such a phrase twice to remember that God is with us for a twofold purpose: to protect and to set free.

Protection, defense, is is often depicted with a shield. God certainly is our shield, as we can see in a number of Psalms (3:3, 28:7, 33:20, 84:11), and He is there to defend us from all that assails us, especially the “pressing dangers of our sins.” This defense is sure, steady, and strong. It will never fail, for God cannot be overcome.

Setting free, on the other hand, is a more active phrase, which we could perhaps depict as a sword. Again, Scripture harkens to this idea by describing God’s Word as a cutting, piercing sword which also serves as a sort of royal scepter by which He rules the nations (Eph. 6:17, Heb. 4:12, Rev. 19:15). As King of kings and Lord of lords, there is no enemy from which God cannot set us free—no sin from which He cannot release us. This is all so that we can be free from sin and free for God: so that “being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life” (Lk 1:74-75).

These two phrases show God as a mighty warrior, Who fights for His own and does not leave them abandoned on the battle field to fight for themselves. “The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is His Name” (Ex. 15:3). “The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew you in His love; He will exult over you with loud singing” (Zeph. 3:17).

In the ever darkening days of winter, this should give us light, hope, and joy, for we need not (should not!) rely on our own strength, but can always lean on God’s. We can trust the promise of Moses to the people of Israel: “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be still” (Ex. 14:14). Altogether, we can then rejoice with those same people every time we see God’s victorious wonders in our lives: “The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt him” (Ex. 15:2).

Learning to trust in such promises is not easy, nor can we just flip some mental switch to do so. We must even there ask God for such trust—trust in His warrior-like capabilities, trust in His providence, trust that He truly wants and wills to protect us and set us free.

Reflection Questions

• From what do I need protection and where do I need to be set free from sin?
• Do I try to overcome my particular sins and vices on my own, or do I pray for specific graces to overcome them?
• What graces should I ask for right now from God to overcome sin?