St. Norbert's Church - Sunday Reflections

Advent invites us to ask about salvation over and over. Sometimes we are so caught up in religious words that we overlook the simple reality: salvation is to share in God's life and not be imprisoned in our own. That can sound as if we are all going to become one in God, a sort of panentheism (a big word that describes a future in which we lose our individuality and simply disappear in God). That is not the promise that we are given. We are given a promise of personal life in God, a life in which we are all in God, but all still ourselves and not simply disappearing into some formless God.

This future life is dreamed of by the Prophet Isaiah in today's first reading. He foresees a land in which everything really works together for the good of all and for the good of each. If we are among those experiencing this salvation, then we will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.

Probably most of us at times long for a time in our own lives when everything works well, when our relationships with others and with God are all that they can be, when the world is at peace and our loves ones are also sharing in such a good time.

Today's second reading is from the Letter of James. The author is encouraging us to have patience because only in patience can we wait for the world to be transformed into God's own image. James tells us to take the prophets as our models. The prophets were able to wait for the world to come in which everything would be perfect and people would live in peace with one another. The prophets could even describe such a world - like the description we have today from the prophet Isaiah.

Matthew's Gospel for today echoes the longing of the prophets in the longing of the people of Jesus' own time. They go out to see John the Baptist, hoping for a Messiah who will save them from oppression by the Romans. John the Baptist himself seems unsure that Jesus is the Messiah and so sends his followers to Jesus to ask Him. Jesus does not give a direct answer. This happens so often in the Gospels that we have to become used to this style of thinking and writing.

What happens here is that Jesus wants John the Baptist (and us) to discover whether He is really the Messiah. Just because He might say that He is will not convince everyone. Words are far too easy. So Jesus tells John the Baptist: Look for yourself: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me. What do these things mean to you?

We have to ask ourselves today about what signs are given to us. Jesus tells us that the only sign is the sign of Jonah the Prophet. So we are left to make a decision about whether we believe in the Resurrection of Jesus or not. If we don't, then any kind of faith in Jesus is just foolishness. If we do believe, then our actions must begin to echo our faith.

Advent: He is coming! Come, Lord Jesus! For you and me: let us live the faith that we profess by our actions.