Second Sunday of Advent (A)

Is 11:1-10
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Rm 15:4-9
Mt 3:1-12

Have you heard about "God's dream for the world"? Hello, I’m Father Greg Friedman, and this is the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Second Sunday of Advent.

That phrase—God's dream for the world—is a favorite expression of a colleague of mine. He uses it to describe how he interprets Scripture passages like those from Isaiah and St. Paul in today's liturgy. My friend says that God's dream for the world is a vision of all of creation—reconciled, at peace, full of the justice and harmony intended for it by our Creator.

Isaiah's "peaceable kingdom"—a scene favored by artists, where the lion and the lamb play together—is an expression of what God envisions for all of us: the beautiful earth, healed of the ravages of greed and pollution; humanity living according to God's wisdom, understanding, justice. St. Paul encourages the gentile Christians of the Church at Rome to see themselves united with Paul's Jewish brothers and sisters in coming together to praise God.

Accomplishing this dream of God means a real and radical change of heart, true conversion. Such change doesn't come easy, as we know. Just look around at our world—or better yet, we might look inside our own hearts. We need the prophetic "wake-up call" of John the Baptist in Matthew's Gospel today to summon us to conversion. We will need God's grace and power, present in Jesus Christ.

Scripture:

•Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, (Isaiah 11:3)

•For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. (Psalm 72:12)

•I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name. (Romans 15:9b)

•His food was locusts and wild honey. (Matthew 3:4b)

Reflection:

•How will you simplify your life this advent?

•What is really important this holiday season?

•Will you allow time to prepare for Christ’s coming?

•Take time to pray for peace.

We must pray without tiring, for salvation of mankind does not depend on material success but on Jesus alone. (Frances Xavier Cabrini)

Prayer means a launching out of the heart towards God; it means lifting up one’s eyes, quite simply to heaven, a cry of grateful love, from the crest of joy or through the trough of despair; it is vast, supernatural force that opens out my heart and binds me close to Jesus. (Thérèse of Lisieux)

Peace is the theme of the Second Sunday of Advent. The first reading describes Christ, the Messiah who came from the line of Jesse, King David's father. It also describes how to obtain peace — a peace that sustains us even in the midst of sufferings and trials. It's the very nature of Jesus himself: "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him"; have you felt the Holy Spirit "resting" on you lately?

We experience true peace when we're in a restful relationship with God, i.e., when we're not struggling against him and his ways and his plans for us. Peace does not depend on finding an end to the struggles we have with people or with financial shortages or addictions or health problems, etc.. We can work hard to accomplish peace in any trial, win the war, and still not be at peace.

Peace comes to us in the wisdom and understanding that we get from the Holy Spirit. Peace comes from following the Spirit's counsel and relying upon God's strength. Peace comes from gaining knowledge of the truth that God wants us to know, in total submission to his authority, obediently acting upon the truth.

In the Gospel reading, John the Baptist reminds us to "prepare the way of the Lord and make straight his paths." To receive the Spirit of God and his peace, we must prepare ourselves to meet Jesus in the Mass and in all the other ways that he wants to come to us. How? By identifying and repenting of our sins, thus straightening our crooked paths. We need to get rid of the obstacles that block our view of Jesus. We need to stop following our feelings and fascinations that lead us into twisted circles that get us nowhere fast in our search for peace.

Whatever separates us from God's peace we must get rid of, either through the Sacrament of Reconciliation or, when we've committed only small, venial sins, through the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass.

Questions for Personal Reflection:

What turmoil is going on in your life? What has stolen your peace? The only control you have over the problems that disturb you is how you let them affect you. Where is Jesus? What obstacles (e.g., unforgiveness or resentment) do you need to repent of to see him and feel his peace?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:

What methods do you use to settle down and rest in the Spirit of Jesus when turmoil is spinning around you? What kind of prayer helps? Do you go on retreat or confide in a spiritual director? What are some other ideas?