2nd Week of Advent, Year A
READING 1:
Isaiah 11:1-10 Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Psalm
72 READING 2: Romans 15:4-9 GOSPEL: Matthew 3:1-12
A man who thought he was John the Baptist was disturbing the neighborhood, so for public safety, he was committed to a mental hospital for observation. He was put in a room with another man, and immediately began his routine, "I am John the Baptist! Jesus Christ has sent me!" The other guy looked at him and declared, "I did not!" The real John the Baptist called people to repent, please notice: not to shame or guilt or even regrets, but simply to repent. That means to change; to be transformed by the Good News. Change is tough though, especially for those who have become comfortable with their existence. Once upon a time there was a sea lion who lost the sea. He lived in a country known as the barren lands. High on a plateau, far from any coast, it was a place so dry and dusty; it could only be called a desert. A kind of grass grew in patches here and there, and a few trees were scattered across the horizon and there was a watering hole. But mostly, it was dust. Of course, you might think it strange that such a beautiful creature should wind up in a desert at all. He was mind you, a sea lion. But I guess things like that do happen. How he came to be there, no one remembered. It seemed so very long ago. So long, in fact, that it appeared he had always been there. After you live in a certain place so long, no matter how odd, you come to think of it as home. We listen to the news on our way to work or the gym or shopping or to pick up the kids. We hear about famine and genocide in places on the African continent we don’t quite remember, depressed young men killing shoppers, students shooting fellow students randomly, corruption in government, wars we don’t understand, and athletes using steroids. We say, “Have a great day!” What has happened is unthinkable; we have become used to it. The people who walk in darkness have adjusted their eyes. What are you asking for this Christmas? What do you hope for? Some hope their air flights arrive on time. Some hope our favorite athlete wins the Heisman trophy (Tebow!). Some are asking for High-def blue tube TVs; some for a pool table; some for the latest iPod or Wii game. Nothing wrong with any of those hopes; nothing unusual either. Everyone has hopes like that, so why bother to ask us? It’s life as usual, same old-same old, “been there, done that, bought the t-shirt”. If you have a feeling there is never enough, you may be right! If the current commercial that uses an old Rolling Stones song, “You can’t always get what you want,” somehow resonates, your discomfort may be revealing something good. What is Isaiah the great prophet suggesting in our first reading today? He speaks of different gifts; the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He speaks of wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord. These are more than words for a cool t-shirt. These are gifts the Creator longs to give. These are the gifts that lead us to repent, gifts that change us; that transform us. Animal Planet may be fascinating but it is not the way God meant for his creatures to live. Isaiah describes life as it ought to be:
Jesus asked people wherever he went, “What do you want?” As we ask for the ordinary, the usual gifts of Christmas, can we also ask for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit? Jesus made the blind see, the lame dance; he has the power to change us. As we prepare to celebrate his birth, how about pausing just long enough to remember that we are created for paradise and allow Isaiah’s words to remind us of our greatest desire at Christmas: the fullness of peace. Fr. Jeff McGowan |
