Word to the Wise
Sunday, December 16, 2007 - Third Sunday of Advent
[Isaiah 35:1-6A, 10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11]Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the ongue of the mute will sing. (Isaiah) "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you heare and see: 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." (Matthew
The words of Isaiah were uttered centuries before Jesus' reply to the disciples of John the Baptist! Jesus was able to reply to them in terms of the prophecy! Centuries mean a long time of waiting! Yet, that kind of time is our kind of time and not God's kind of time. We have the advantage, in telling the story each liturgical year, of knowing the dates of the First Sunday of Advent and the date of the celebration of Christmas! There is no uncertainty there! For John's disciples, it was an anxious question. Advent has a way of touching all our "waitings." Are we waiting to heal from a wound, whether physical or emotional or spiritual? Are we waiting for some good news about a relationship that isn't going as well as we would like? Are we waiting for our nation to finally renounce war as a way of life? Are we waiting for the day when a particular visitor will arrive? What are we waiting for? Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday rejoices in the certitude of Christ's advent. He has come, He comes and He will come again! Can our drooping spirits revive, our eyes and ears be opened to perceive him in the many faces of others? If Gaudete Sunday exhorts us to "Rejoice!," can we actually bring some joy into the waiting world that needs it like dry land needs water? Isaiah exhorts us to "Be strong, fear not!" If we can do just that, all the waiting will be worthwhile! AMEN
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