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Advent Reflection - First Sunday of Advent
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November 27, 2022
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!"
The season of Advent invites us to hope, to expectation and to patient waiting! The majestic words of Isaiah in the first scripture for today speak of something we would all like to see: a world at peace!! We would hope to see missiles, tanks, and all weapons of war and violence turned into plowshares and prune hooks to feed and shelter all those who have been injured and dispossessed by war and violence, some of whom wait at our own borders for a better life. We would hope to know that our children can go to school in joy and not be traumatized or killed by mentally deranged shooters or abused by predators. We would hope to see a peaceful political and religious climate in our country, characterized by civil understanding of different points of view instead of mob violence and threats against election officials. We would hope for greater progress in combating a pandemic that has robbed us of life and security.
Patient waiting is not the opposite of determined efforts to end all those terrible scourges. Our Advent expectations may be aimed at celebrating the birth of Christ, but we also know his whole earthly story and read his teachings in the scriptures. He has invited us to peace. Indeed, he is called "Prince of Peace." But we are charged in our own times to "beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks" and to receive "instruction" from prophetic voices that call us to determined action to end the needless and seemingly endless scourges of war and violence. We pray in hope, in expectation and patient waiting: "O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord." AMEN
