Looking for Partners (Mk 4:26-34)

 

All of the parables about the kingdom of God—the mustard seed, the seed falling on different kinds of ground, the treasure hidden in the field, the leaven in the dough—all show that we are in this together.  Fully developed, one seed does not make for a harvest.  It takes the whole field of grain.  One measure of yeast does not make for a whole loaf of bread.  Even the one who finds the hidden treasure must collaborate with others to raise the purchase price—the owner of the field and buyers for his own goods. 

In this light, bringing about the kingdom of God takes the combined effort of all of us.  No one does it alone.  Jesus himself sets the example of the need for collaboration.  First, he calls his Apostles, and then he calls Peter to lead his church, the collective body of Christ.  The need for collaborators remains today because the kingdom of God planted by the Word of Jesus has not yet reached fruition.  It is still in the growing season because God wants a bountiful harvest. 

Until the harvest arrives, the garden stands in need of constant care and cultivation.  Without proper care, the newly planted garden will fail to flourish and will deteriorate.  As followers of Christ, therefore, our calling is to care for the garden.  Each of us pulling together will bring about the kingdom of God.  As St. Paul reminds us, there are many gifts but one spirit to equip us for the work of building up the body of Christ (Eph 4:12).

As good stewards, we use our gifts in service to one another (1 Pt 4:10).  Good works that stem from our faith and love is how we realize the kingdom.  Our good works are like the leavening agent that causes the dough to rise.  Through good works, we become the farmer tending the growing seed.  We tend the kingdom of God by keeping his commandments to love one another as Jesus loved us. 

Jesus does not provide specific instructions in this respect, and yet, he calls us to a different way of life, a different way of seeing things.  He wants to form a partnership with us and will strengthen us for the task at hand (Phil 4:13).  Jesus wants coworkers, who will be salt and light for the world, to bring about his bounty—his peace, justice, love, reconciliation, and respect for the dignity of all, especially for those in our daily lives. 

This is the underlying message of all the parables on the kingdom of God.  As followers of Christ, we are chosen for a life of good works born of faith and love to bring about a new reality, a new world—the kingdom of God.

 

Pick Some Grain (Mk 2:23-28)

 

For the Pharisees, picking grain from the field on the Sabbath was not a trivial matter.  They viewed it as a serious violation of their covenant with God as defined in his commandments.  The violation was serious because it severed their connection with God.  For the ancient Hebrews, the commandments of God expressed his holiness.  As a result, because they were made in the image and likeness of God, they believed that the fundamental way to honor their covenant with God was to imitate his holiness.

Since God rested from his labors on the sixth day of creation, his rest was an expression of his holiness and thus a command that humans do likewise.  Therefore, mandatory rest on the Sabbath fulfilled their obligation to imitate the holiness of God by prohibiting work of any kind, including the picking of grain (Ex 31:17, 23:12).  For this reason, the Pharisees took offense at what Jesus and his disciples did on the Sabbath.    

Ironically, the Pharisees should have felt blessed to have Jesus, the Son of God, in their presence, and yet, they were offended by his deeds.  In the matter at hand, Jesus clearly understood the historical and religious significance of the Sabbath, and he faithfully followed the commandments of God.  Because he disagrees with the Pharisees on their interpretation of the commandment, he takes exception to their offense. 

Jesus responds to the Pharisees’ stubborn adherence to ritualistic behavior with an authentic interpretation of the commandment.  He says to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  With all authority, Jesus declares that the Sabbath is for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing (Mk 3:4).  Good deeds born of love for God and neighbor is an authentic way to imitate the holiness of God.

For this reason, Jesus will say to the Pharisees more than once, “You are more interested in doing religion than in doing justice.  You are more interested in miracles than in caring for the poor, the vulnerable, the outcast, the marginalized.  You are more interested in religious ritual and celebration than in loving others.  You substitute following rules for doing God’s will.  No wonder the message of Jesus offended the Pharisees of his day.

The message of Jesus remains valid to this day, however.  He calls us to be loving, kind, patient, understanding, merciful, and just towards others, especially the poor and vulnerable members of society.  This is what Jesus aims at when he says to his disciples, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Mt 11:6).  The good deeds of Jesus serve as an invitation to follow him and do likewise, not a reason to take offense.

Following Jesus is a blessing that leads to eternal life.  We are blessed that God so loved us that he became one of us in the person of Jesus Christ.  We are blessed that Jesus is our model because he is like us in every way.  Jesus shows us who the Father is and how we can imitate the holiness of God.  This is the good news that Jesus preached so long ago.  And, we are truly blessed to hear his message once again.

Follow the Signs (Jn 2:1-11)

 

Signs are important to us.  GPS alone is proof positive of just how important.  We look for signs to guide us on our journey or help us find what we want.  All signs both good and bad point to something beyond, while good signs always point to the truth and therefore inspire confidence or belief.  This is why the evangelist John begins his gospel with a series of seven signs that point to God’s plan of salvation.  These signs are the seven wondrous deeds, or miracles of Jesus.  With these signs, John aims to inspire belief in Jesus.

The first sign is the transformation of water into wine at Cana (Jn 2:1-11).  Running out of wine may not reflect a profound spiritual crisis, but it is a social crisis.  For the ancient Hebrews, wine was not only a common part of their meal.  Wine was also significant in their worship as a sign of life and blessing from God.  The liturgical use of wine and its meaning will take on even greater significance at the Last Supper.

In this light, running out of wine for his wedding guests in the very least created an embarrassing breach of hospitality for the host.  When Mary observes this situation, she immediately goes to Jesus and simply says, they have no wine.  Her statement is an observation rather than a request, but Jesus gets the message.  Mary expects him to do something about it, although what she expects is never revealed.

His first response is to protest with a question about why he should become involved, for his hour has not yet arrived.  Jesus wants to know what this problem means for him and for Mary as well.  This response calls to mind the response he gave to her when left behind at age 12, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk 2:49).  Both responses reflect the priority Jesus consistently gives to doing the Father’s will.  This also indicates that the full revelation of who he is and what he is about must come later.

In spite of Jesus’ protest, Mary turns to the servers and instructs them to do whatever he tells them.  Mary’s instruction to the servers mirrors her own response to the Angel Gabriel, “I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).  Mary’s attitude of serenity and acceptance points to Jesus as the one we can follow with trust and abandon (CCC 2674).  In fact, Pope Paul VI described Mary as worthy of imitation because she was the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus[1].

The transformation of water into wine symbolizes the entire creative and transforming work that Jesus carried out and continues to carry out among us.  This transformation is not only what Jesus did.  It also begins to reveal who Jesus is.  By focusing on the “who” behind the “what” of each sign, John aims to inspire belief in Jesus, the promised Messiah and gateway to eternal life, who longs to transform the lives of those who follow his way (Jn 20:31).

Throughout his earthly mission, Jesus makes it clear that our own transformation best comes about by imitating the “who” behind the “what” he did (Eph 5:1-2).  Although we cannot change water into wine, we can transform the ordinary into the sacred by caring for others in the ordinary circumstances of their lives.  The other six signs provide additional bearing for our journey of transformation.  We may not be able to cure the sick at a distance merely by our word as Jesus did for the royal official's son, but we can bring comfort and relief to the sick and the homebound.  We may not be able to cure hardships and misfortune as Jesus did for the paralytic at the pool, but we can help others carry their burdens.  We may not be able to multiply loaves of bread, but we can feed the hungry and clothe the naked.  We may not be able to walk on water, but we can guide others to a better path in life.  We may not be able to cure the blind, but we can help others to see the light of truth.  We may not be able to raise people from the dead, but we can help heal broken spirits and bring hope to those in desperate circumstances.  We can be the wine, bringing life and blessing to others.

These are the signs of what Jesus did that show us who Jesus is.  These signs also show us what we can do and who we can be through the transformative power of our relationship with Jesus.  These powerful signs motivate Paul to write in his letter to the Corinthians, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.  To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” (1 Cor 12:4-7).  By using our gifts in imitation of Jesus, we become a sign and instrument of God’s love in the world.  We become more like Jesus who in turn transforms us into who he is—compassionate, loving, nonjudgmental help for others.  We just need to follow the signs and do what Jesus tells us.

---

[1] “Mary, the First Disciple”, by Lawrence S. Cunningham, St. Anthony Messenger (May 2020).

Connect to Act (Mk 2:1-12)

 

Healing stories in the New Testament often focus on one person who places hope and trust in Jesus in asking for a cure.  The story of the paralytic, however, takes a different turn.  Notice that he never asks anything of Jesus.  Nor do the four members of his faith community who help him.  Rather, with unspoken hope and trust, they simply take bold action for their neighbor.  They force their way through the crowd and rooftop into the presence of Jesus.  As soon as they arrive, Jesus acknowledges their combined show of faith and immediately heals the man in a complete sense—first from his sins and then from his paralysis.

This story reveals two aspects of faith that we often overlook:  one, faith connects us to each other, and two, faith transforms us into actors.  As to how faith connects us, this story shows that we can do more together in faith than we can do alone.  Obviously, the paralytic had his own faith in the healing power Jesus.  Otherwise, he would not have sought help from Jesus.  He could not act alone, however.  He needed others to help him realize the full expression of his faith.  Therefore, those from his faith community who provided the needed assistance also shared the paralytic’s faith in the healing power of Jesus.  Otherwise, they would not have brought him to Jesus for healing.  Thus, their faith connected them. 

This combined effort of faith demonstrates that faith is more than a solo, private experience of God.  This is true because “Christ is not simply the one in whom we believe…Christ is the one with whom we are united precisely in order to believe” (Lumen Fidei, 18, 22).  By this definition, faith does not function in isolation.  Faith by its nature is meant to be lived in and through a community of believers.  Faith connects us to each other. 

The second aspect of this story is that faith transforms us into actors.  Faith is not a passive experience born of rational analysis and mere assent of mind and heart.  Rather, faith finds expression in words and deeds based on the love of Christ.  Because Christ lives in complete and constant union with the Father, Christ is the supreme manifestation of God’s love, and the one who makes God known to us (cf. Jn 1:18).  As a result, when we live in union with Jesus, faith allows us to see things as Christ sees them, through the eyes of love, because this is how God sees things (1 Jn 4:7-9; LF 18). 

From this perspective, faith working through love motivates us to imitate the deeds of Jesus.  In fact, Jesus declares that those who believe in him will do the works that he does and even grater ones (Jn 14:12).  This is why Paul declares that, “In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love” (Gal 5:6).    

In short, the story about the paralytic reveals the difference that faith makes in our lives.  When we open our hearts to the faith and love offered by Jesus, faith connects us to each other in a way that transforms our hearts into an expression of his love.  Faith and love working together then enlarge and expand our lives in ways that we could never achieve on our own (LF 21).  Paul describes the ultimate consequences of faith on these terms when he says "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me” (Gal 2:20).  In this same spirit, may our faith in Jesus Christ always keep us connected to each other and inspire us to action grounded in his love (Eph 3:17).

A Show of Faith (Lk 5:12-16)

The story about healing the leper is a focus on the nature of faith as a matter of hope and trust in the love of God.  Today, we tend to think of faith as the belief that God exists, while the content of faith is about the nature of God.  This modern understanding of faith does not do justice to how the ancient Hebrews understood faith. 

For them, faith was a two-way street.  God wanted and sought out a relationship with his people because he loves them.  In turn, they entered that relationship by placing their hope and trust in the love of God.  As a result, their faith shaped and influenced the way they lived their daily lives, both individually and as a community.  This is the background for the leper’s appeal to Jesus that also reveals a downside to this communal approach to life.

Notice that the leper does not ask Jesus for a cure.  By law and by ritual, the faith community viewed leprosy as God’s punishment for sin.  They also feared the moral impurity of the disease was as contagious as the physical aspects.  For that reason, they banished lepers to a life of isolation. No one was allowed to touch or even support a leper.  The only way a leper could rejoin the faith community was to be declared clean by competent religious authority.  This declaration was a formal sign that the leper’s sin had been forgiven, and a necessary first step in the process of reintegration into the community.

A desire for such reintegration is what motivates the man’s request of Jesus—If you wish, you can make me clean.  His desperate need to be among the living once again compels him to seek help from Jesus with hope and trust.  In essence, the leper’s request is a bold expression of his faith that acknowledges the divine authority of Jesus both to forgive sin and to heal physical ailments. 

Jesus affirms the validity of the leper’s faith by ignoring all religious and social taboo concerning lepers.  Instead, Jesus stretches out his hand, touches the man, and says, “I do will it.  Be made clean."  The compassion of Jesus demonstrates his unconditional love in a way that literally heals the man from his ailment. 

This story shows that Jesus loves us and yearns for us to seek him with all boldness and without fear.  Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.  Jesus does not restrict who may seek him.  Jesus does not say to the leper:  Go get holy, and then knock on the door.  Rather, Jesus says:  Knock and I will open it; I will show you how to be holy. 

Jesus meets us where we are, regardless of our circumstances.  He looks for a show of faith, however much or little each of us can muster.  He is eager to respond to our faith with compassion.  This is how faith works.  That is also how love works.  The love that Jesus has for each of us is reason enough to place our hope and trust in him.

 

 

An Unlikely Witness (Jn 1:29-34)

 

John the Baptist came as a witness to prepare the way for Jesus.  Although faithful to his calling, John is a most unlikely witness.  He is not a religious leader.  He is not even part of the religious establishment.  He lives alone in the desert, on the margin of society.  He has no visible means of support, and goes around dressed only in camel hair.  John looks and acts homeless.  No one at the time would have guessed that John is God’s chief witness.  Yet, that is exactly his role.  John proclaims to others what he has seen and heard about the coming of the Lord Jesus.  The aim of his testimony is to inspire belief in Jesus.

For this reason, John’s testimony provides a threefold model that we can follow in our own efforts to be a witness for Christ.  First, John speaks from personal experience.  A genuine witness only testifies to what she or he has seen and heard.  Genuine witness therefore always depends on personal experience, along with an underlying commitment to the truth.  John’s calling from God led to his personal encounter with Jesus, and that encounter motivated and sustained his faithful witness to the truth of who Jesus is and what he is about.

Second, John speaks with confidence.  Witnesses can speak with confidence when their testimony stems from their personal knowledge.  Personal knowledge is always the basis of confident assertion.  Witnesses to Jesus are confident in their testimony because they speak with knowledge about who Jesus is and the truth that he proclaims.  Jesus proclaims that God longs for our love and wants to share his eternal life with us.  Knowledge of this truth is the basis of John’s confident witness to Christ.

Third, John speaks to awaken belief in Jesus.  Giving witness is not a matter of simply repeating someone else's words or reporting events as a detached observer. The fundamental reason for giving testimony is to inspire belief in the assertions made.  Such belief more likely comes about when a witness asserts what he or she personally believes to be the case.  This is the sole purpose of John’s testimony—to awaken belief in Jesus Christ.  Thus, his testimony stems from his own belief in the saving presence of Christ who shows us the way to eternal life and happiness.

These three characteristics of John’s witness can serve as a model and inspiration for us today.  Following John’s example, we too can draw on our personal experience and speak with confidence to awaken faith in Jesus.  We may not see ourselves as likely witnesses to Christ, but this is our calling as much as it was John’s.  In fulfilling our role, we bring Christ to others.  We become the instruments of Christ's presence.  We become a sacrament to others.  Our efforts form a partnership with the Holy Spirit who awakens faith in others. 

In the end, we can be confident of receiving the promise Jesus made when he said: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father” (Mt 10:32).  Therefore, our prayer this Christmas season and throughout the year is for the Holy Spirit to help us make good on our calling to be a witness for Christ. 

More Than a Social Gathering (1Jn 1:1-4)

 

The Evangelist John speaks of fellowship in the early Christian community in a way that differs from a modern understanding of that term.  Today, the word fellowship most often refers to a social gathering with family and friends, especially at church.  These gatherings are a point in time for shared activities, friendly conversation, or the presentation of a worthwhile topic.  Sometimes we serve food and refreshments at these gatherings.  At the conclusion, we often leave with pleasant memories and a feeling of connection with those who share our values and interests.

For John and the early Christians, however, fellowship went beyond a point in time to a chosen way of life centered on love for one another in the spirit of Christ.  This way of life derived from belief in Jesus Christ and a commitment to imitate him by carrying out the heavenly Father’s will.  As John puts it in his letter, “what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ (1Jn1:3). 

The aim of such Christian fellowship was to promote charitable living and to strengthen the faith of the community members.  Fellowship on these terms relied on the idea that knowledge of God and love for one another are inseparable.  This idea reflects a common focus on charitable living found throughout the New Testament—not only in word and speech—but also in deed and in truth (1 Jn 3:17-18).   In fact, John’s gospel points to charitable living as the lifeblood of Christian fellowship.

            St. Paul expresses a similar idea in his letter to the Philippians.  In that letter, Paul says very plainly that, “If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.  Do nothing out of selfishness or egotism.  Rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for one’s own interests, but for the interests of others.  Have among yourselves the same attitude that Christ Jesus had (Phil 2:1-4).

            Long before Paul wrote this advice, however, the Annunciation provides a prime example of Christian fellowship.  Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel was to devote herself to Christ even before she understood the full ramifications of that commitment.  Thereafter, Mary expressed her faith and union with Christ in her love for others, especially at the Visitation.  At that time, Mary not only brought the good news about Jesus to Elizabeth.  She also spent time with Elizabeth caring for her during her pregnancy.  Care and concern for others is at the heart of a life based on Christian fellowship.

            This is the spiritual legacy and way of life that we have inherited from the early followers of Christ.  Accepting that inheritance in the spirit of Mary calls us into partnership with Christ to love what God loves—his children and his creation.  This is the whole point of the two great commandments.  Although love on these terms can be a tall order at times, the Christmas season provides special opportunity to renew our commitment in meeting this challenge both now and throughout the coming year.

A Moment in Time (Lk 1:26-38)

 

Advent is a special time to commemorate the Annunciation, for the Annunciation is a decisive moment in human history.  Oddly enough, that moment does not occur when the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she would conceive and bear the physical reality of God in her womb.  This announcement is not decisive because it is not a divine command.  Rather, Gabriel informs Mary of an event that is contingent upon her agreement.  Therefore, the decisive moment occurs when Mary acknowledges and accepts her role as the mother of Jesus.  Her acceptance is decisive because it inaugurates the earthly mission of Jesus, who comes as the Son of God that we may have life more abundantly, both here and hereafter in his eternal kingdom (LK1:30-35; Jn 10:10).

The significance of Mary’s acceptance inspired St. John Paul II to assert an inseparable connection between the Annunciation and the Eucharist itself.  In his view, this spiritual connection begins with Mary’s acceptance that reflected the way she lived her earthly life—with humble response, joyful cooperation, and from this moment on, with complete love in union with the Word of God.  John Paul defined Mary’s life in terms of a living Eucharist and model for how we too can live in union with Christ (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 55 ff).

Mary herself gives voice to this union at the Visitation when she says to Elizabeth, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.  From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.” (Lk 1:46-49). 

With these words, Mary becomes the first evangelizer, bearing in her womb the Word made flesh and bringing that Word to Elizabeth and the baby John.  This occasion also reveals Mary as the first “tabernacle” wherein the Son of God remained invisible to human eyes, all the while radiating his divine light through her eyes and voice.  Like Mary, we too are living tabernacles of the Lord who remains invisible and hidden in our hearts.  Thus, like Mary, we too can be the eyes and voice of Jesus in our relationship with others.

From the beginning, Mary understood that Jesus came for others, especially the stranger, the foreigner, the oddly dressed, the downtrodden, the sinner. She also understood that Jesus encounters us most often in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.  Perhaps this is why she and Joseph lived very ordinary lives with Jesus for the first 30 years of his life.  Mary’s whole life demonstrates that Jesus is our ever-present, devoted companion who sheds light on our own way of life and helps us shed that light for others.

This is the spiritual legacy we have inherited from our Blessed Mother.  Her humble response and devotion to her son Jesus is a model for our own way of life—pursuing God’s will in union with Christ.  Mary lived out the two great commandments—love of God and love of neighbor.  If we follow Mary’s example, our union with Jesus will transform our daily lives in a way that continues into eternity.  To that end, our Advent prayer is to always hold Jesus in our hearts and share him with others, especially with those who need him most.

A Song and Dance (Mt 11:16-19)

Why is it that the people heard the call of the flute but did not dance, and heard the call of the dirge but did not mourn?  Because they were not prepared to hear the call and thus neither danced nor mourned.  Jesus uses these examples to show how people were not prepared for his coming or that of his chief witness John.  People heard the call of both John and Jesus and saw what each had done, and yet, they either rejected the message or were indifferent to it.  Most people at that time were so unprepared that they said John was possessed by a demon and Jesus was a glutton and a drunkard.

There are countless reasons why the people of long ago were so unprepared for the coming of Jesus and his call to a new way of life.  Among those most unprepared to hear the call of Jesus were the Pharisees.  By the time that Jesus arrived on the scene, the Pharisees were so corrupt in their own way of life that they did not perceive Jesus as the coming of the promised messiah.  Rather, they saw Jesus as a threat to their greed and lust for power.  Their corruption was so complete that it motivated their desire to kill Jesus.

Their violent response to Jesus is perhaps not all that surprising.  On the one hand, the Pharisees held the seat of Moses, and their positions entitled them to cite the law of Moses.  On the other hand, they intentionally misconstrued their authority to cite the Law as license to misappropriate the Law for their own purposes.  They used the letter of the Law to impose hundreds of unnecessary and burdensome rules on the followers of Moses that they themselves did not follow.  Instead, they violated the spirit of the Mosaic Law—love of God and love of neighbor—to protect their own power and wealth.  Their corruption and hypocrisy ran so deep that Jesus branded the Pharisees whitened sepulchers—clean on the outside but full of decay and filth on the inside.  They appeared righteous, but were guilty of predatory self-indulgence and evil deeds that violated the spirit of the Law (Mt 23:25-28).

In that light, it seems odd that Jesus would nevertheless tell his disciples “to do and observe all things whatsoever the Pharisees tell you, but do not follow their example” (Mt 23:3).  This is just another way of saying that, while the Pharisees had authority to cite the Mosaic Law, they did not have a right to embezzle the Law and use it to promote false teaching.  Thus, the disciples were under no obligation to follow the hypocritical interpretations and applications of the Law imposed by the Pharisees. 

The question for us today during this Advent season of preparation is how to hear and respond to the call of Jesus.  Jesus provides a clue with his claim that wisdom is vindicated by her works (Mt 11:19).  If we want to hear the call and stay on the right path, we can look to Jesus.  He is the standard for correct judgement (Mt 7:28-29; cf 9:6; 12:8).  Do the works that Jesus does; love the way he loves; teach what he teaches; live the way he lives (Mt 28:19-20).

Jesus provides a compelling summary of all this when he says to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.  This is how all will know that you are my disciples…” (Jn 13:34-35).  May the principle of love guide our Advent preparation for the coming of Jesus.

 

The Eyes of Faith (Mt 9:27-31)

 

Of all the stories in the New Testament, the most prominent perhaps are stories about the healing of the blind (cf. Mk 10:46-52; 8:22-26; Jn 9:1-41).  The irony of the story in today’s gospel is that, on a spiritual level, the two blind men have no need of healing.  They approach Jesus with the clear vision of faith.  Despite their physical blindness, they clearly understand and accept that Jesus has the power to heal them.  They demonstrate their belief with a positive answer to his question, do you believe that I can do this.  In healing them, Jesus affirms their steadfast faith and the clarity of their spiritual understanding.

This story underscores the need for light in both a physical and a spiritual sense.  Jesus highlights this dual role in his teaching that “the lamp of the body is the eye.  It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.  And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be” (Matthew 6:22-23).  Notice the connection that Jesus makes between light and the ability to see in both the physical and spiritual sense.  Scripture reveals three ways light functions in this dual sense. 

The first role is the physical function of light found in the creation story.  On the first day of creation when the earth was covered with darkness, God created light that he called day, while he called the darkness night (1:1-5).  On the fourth day, God created the sun to illuminate the day and the moon and stars to illuminate the night (1:14-17).  In this scenario, God is not the light.  Rather, the light is merely a manifestation of His presence (Ps 4:6).

The second role is the spiritual light of Christ we need for eternal life.  Jesus reveals this role for himself in his claim that he is “…the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8-12).  With this claim, Jesus declares himself to be spiritual light for the world.  Jesus is the light that gives life, for in the beginning all things were created through him, including life itself.  This life is light for everyone, and it “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (Jn 1:1-5).

The significant role for light in this spiritual sense motivates Jesus to tell his disciples, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light” (Mt 11:35–36). 

To be a child of light is the third role that scripture defines for light.  The children of light are the followers of Jesus.  The followers of Jesus are light for the world and salt for the earth.  Jesus makes this clear when he says to his followers: “You are the light of the world; do not hide your light under a bushel basket.  Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:13-16).

In the words of St. Paul, God created us in Christ Jesus for good works.  Doing good for others out of love is the sure path to eternal life (Ep 2:10).  The challenge is to see others with the eyes of faith rather than with physical eyes alone.  However difficult, loving others with the eyes of faith is the only way to be children of light.

The Beginning is the End (Lk 21:25-28; 34-36)

 

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ.  The spiritual theme of this season centers on waiting, conversion, and hope.[1]  In an unexpected way, however, that theme begins with a focus on the end times as reflected in the gospel.  The first part of the gospel reveals those events leading up to the second coming of Christ, while the second part highlights the need to prepare and stay ready for the adversity that will occur at that time.  In other words, the purpose of Advent is to memorialize the first coming of Christ at his birth as a way to prepare for his second coming at the end of time.

In modern times during Advent, however, we focus more on the birth of Christ and not much on his second coming, at least not like the people did at the time of Jesus.  In those days, when Jesus spoke about his eventual return, people developed the idea that he would return during their lifetime.  Paul was among those who held this view.  In his letter to the Thessalonians, for example, Paul writes that, “…on the word of the Lord…we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thes 4:15).

As time passed, however, and Jesus did not return as expected, many early Christians concluded that he would not make good on his promise.  They used the apparent delay as justification for their immoral behavior.  This prompted Peter to warn them that, “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard ‘delay,’ but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pt 3:9).  When Peter said this, he might have had in mind a verse from the Psalms that reads: “A thousand years in your eyes are merely a day gone by” (Ps 90:4).  Peter understood that God simply does not count time the way we do.

In any case, whether there is a delay in the second coming no longer seems to be a concern for us today.  Most of us have no trouble believing that Jesus will indeed come again as he promised.  Like the early Christians, we just don’t know when.  So, instead of predicting when he will return, we just count on when he won’t.  We believe that Jesus won’t come again in our own day.  If we thought that he would come in our day, we might take more seriously the warning that he gave his disciples.

Several times Jesus warns his disciples to “stay awake and keep watch, for you do not know on which day your Lord will come; be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (Mt 24:42-44).  But, what does it mean to keep watch?  What did this mean for the disciples of long ago, and what does it mean for us today?

Jesus provides a full flavor of what he means with a story about a man who takes a trip.  In that story, the man leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with work to do while he is away.  He also orders the gatekeeper to keep watch because no one knows when the lord of the house will return.  If he returns suddenly, the servants want to avoid being found asleep and not doing their work.  Do not become drowsy. “Be vigilant at all times,” he tells his disciples (Lk 21:36).  This is especially true for those who keep the second and third watch.  Jesus extends this warning at the end of this story when he says to his disciples, “What I say to you, I say to all, watch.” (Mk 13:34-37).

This final comment extends the warning beyond his first coming to all future generations.  Therefore, this warning is meant for us as well—we who may be living in the second or third watch.  In this story, Jesus is the man who goes on a trip and we are the servants who have been given work to do while he is away.  We cannot plead ignorance of the work he has in mind.  Jesus left many benchmarks to identify the work he left us to do.

We know from the Beatitudes, for example, that we are following Jesus when we are poor in spirit, that is, when we acknowledge that all good comes from God alone.  We follow Jesus when we comfort those who mourn; when we are meek; when we seek peace and justice; when we love God by loving what He loves—his children and his creation.

Over the years, we have learned many other ways to keep watch.  Prayer and meditation are among the best ways we open our hearts to the light of the Holy Spirit who leads us to all truth.  Relying on the Holy Spirit keeps us strong in our faith and reveals to us the will of the Father in our daily lives.  The promise of the Holy Spirit motivates Paul to warn the Ephesians: “Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity…do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord...be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:14-18).

To be filled with the Spirit is to be spiritually awake at all times.  Buddhists call this mindfulness.  On this view, mindfulness is a matter of being aware of what is going on within and around us.  Such awareness sees life as God expects us to see it—full of hope and possibility, despite the suffering and longing for completeness that we also see. The fruits of such awareness are understanding, acceptance, love, hope and a desire to relieve the suffering of others and bring them joy (lblc 14).  Loving others in a meaningful way is the work we have to do while Jesus is away.

Throughout his earthly life Jesus encouraged us not to lose hope.  He warned us not to be fooled by an apparent delay in his return (Lk 21:34).  He is coming back, just as he promised.  Until then, he wants us to be aware of and imitate the work he himself came to do.  When we live as Jesus would live and do the works he would do, we memorialize the humble beginning of the Lord Jesus at his birth while we wait for his glorious return.  When Jesus returns, we know that “we shall become like him for we shall see him as he really is” (Jn 3:2).  This is our Advent hope and the whole point of any spiritual conversion—to become more and more like Jesus in all ways. 

 

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[1] Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, December 17, 2001, Vatican City, 96.