When the darkness closes in, Come, Lord Jesus!
Courage fails and hopes grow dim. Lord Jesus, Come!
Clear the shadows from our sight;
Set our troubled world aright.
Fill our eyes with radiant light.
Lord Jesus, come!
This is the first verse of an Advent hymn that is dear to my heart. The song entitled “Come, Lord Jesus” was composed by M. D. Ridge in 1997 for OCP (Oregon Catholic Press), yet it resonates within me as if I had heard it throughout my entire life. A recent photograph taken of this year’s carpet of yellow gingko leaves prompted the recollection of the words, “When the darkness closes in,” but I was stuck in remembering the rest of the verse. After picking up last year’s Breaking Bread songbook to look for the hymn, I opened right to it—a mini miracle to have located it so quickly! Surely God’s hand was dropping breadcrumbs for me to follow.
Quietly singing the tune to myself as I read the words of the verses, I could feel a gentle calmness starting to enter into my body, mind, and spirit. The last weeks and months have felt like a chaotic whirlwind with the convergence of many events and responsibilities swirling about me day and night. Emails, texts, and phone calls to respond to, blogs to write, blogs to schedule, blogs to edit and post, errands to run, spaces to clean, people to assist, questions to answer, music to practice, clothes to wash, dishes to wash, places to be, cards to address, files to find, packages to mail, supplies to order, checks to sign, employees to manage, meetings to attend, vendors to call, decisions to be made…And yet, I look around my office at the multitude of things being left undone, praying with the psalmist, “How long, Lord? Will this go on forever?”
So, the words of this Advent hymn are both a gift and an invitation that I share with each of you. Remember that Jesus is the Light that shines in the darkness no matter the form that our darkness takes. Invite Him to come in to set all things aright—to soothe our sorrows, to uplift our heavy hearts, to calm our anxieties, to give courage in facing our fears, to open our minds to new ways of understanding and seeing people and situations, to guide us through imposing challenges over which we have no control.
Come, Lord Jesus!
By Sister Therese Haydel, OSB