Today’s readings speak of rest, a kingdom that endures forever and protection from enemies. More than promises, it is our Lord’s Covenant with us for rest and protection from enemies - “rest from enemies on every side”. The Gospel is the familiar canticle of Zechariah we say daily in our liturgy of the hours. The rest from enemies is yet to come. How long must we wait? Advent is a time of waiting so that we can feel a spiritual connection to David or Zechariah. We wait for our Christmas day when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, now our waiting is over since Jesus was born and yet it is not. In our faith we treasure our knowledge that our Lord’s kingdom is now and endures forever. The time for rest and protection from enemies has not yet been fulfilled.
I do not hold a gun and stand in a war zone. My enemy is my own doing. I set expectations for Christmas of what I should or must do for family, friends and those in need. As Christmas approaches, the hustle bustle and sometimes anxiety around meeting deadlines is an enemy of my own creation. But if I create this for Christmas day, when the day is over there is no more hustle bustle and anxiety. Every day when I recite the canticle of Zechariah, I think about the enemies in my life. They may be judgments, procrastination, impatience, or any number of sins. I remember that our Lord promised, gave us a covenant and oath to rescue us. Having the “knowledge of salvation” and the “tender mercy of our God” is the rest, in the kingdom of God from all of our enemies.
I pray that we may sit with the Lord in the peace of the season, free of enemies that could steal the joy our Lord promised us.