Reflection

Dec 6, 2020 - 2nd Sunday in Advent

Isaiah’s name in Hebrew means “Yahweh is salvation,” which summarizes the message of God. Isaiah’s prophecy gave hope to an exiled Israel for hundreds of years of suffering, in which the Jews waited for their deliverance and restoration. Freedom from exile is not only for the people of Israel; it is for the salvation of every nation. Advent is the renewal of Israel’s waiting for the good news that Christ will come. Psalm 85 clearly defines the people’s desire to see God’s kindness and to be granted salvation. Advent is a time for reflecting both on Christ’s coming in the Nativity and his coming at the end of time. St. Peter assures Christians that his coming isn’t late, but rather that he waits for the repentance of sinners. Christian vigilance for the coming of that day must yield patience and repentance. In a sense, time for Christians is time beyond time. Listen to these words today as a challenge to act with justice and to be a people at peace. In his appearance and actions John sums up the whole of the Old Testament: his clothing is the same as that of Elijah, and the hides he wears also suggest the skins that Adam and Eve wore after being cast out of the Garden. His diet consists of locusts, which are symbolic of pestilence as one of the plagues of the Exodus and of the Apocalypse, and honey, which is the food of the Promised Land. John’s most prominent virtue is humility. John’s call is to attract people to embrace conversion. The word conversion comes from the Latin word convertere, meaning “to turn around.” We have all experienced needing to turn around, retrace our steps and start over. This is the crux of the Christian life: being willing to convert, to turn around, the areas of our life that need to be more aligned with God’s plan for our eternal happiness. Conversion leads to repentance which means turning away from all that is contrary to our own good.

Where have you realized you need to turn around to convert, back to God’s plan?
Are there ways that you are already journeying, like the Israelites, in the desert, seeing to change your life in order to meet Christ in the Promised Land?
What areas of your life do you live with devotion to Our Lord?
Where do you need to receive forgiveness in your life? Where do you need to grant forgiveness to another in your life?