Word to the Wise
Monday, November 29, 2021 - 1st Week of Advent - Mon
[Isa 2:1-5 (or, in Year A, Isa 4:2-6) and Matt 8:5-11]In days to come, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: "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." [Isaiah] "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven." [Matthew]
The first weekday of Advent begins this holy season with a very broad invitation. Isaiah envisions the "day of the Lord" as a time when all the world streams toward "the mountain of the Lord." The Gospel According to Matthew features Jesus on a mountain (the Sermon on the Mount - Mt. 5-7) and from its very beginning a wider world than Judaism. Consider the story of the Magi! [Mt. 2:1-12] In today's passage, Jesus not only heals the servant of the centurion but praises the faith of the pagan centurion as an example to Jews. The Canaanite (Syro-Phoenician) woman in Mt. 15: 21-28 is another example of Jesus extending his mercy beyond the borders of Judaism.
The constant concerns caused by the COVID pandemic have created a global challenge. But the response often seems to be toward protecting one's own borders and hoarding one's own resources instead of having humanity stand together. Perhaps on all levels this Advent season invites us to reach out beyond our individual "fortresses" to not only share the Good News that prompts this season, but to act in definite ways to help those suffering from COVID either directly or by loss of a loved one. Our whole planet is suffering. Where can HOPE be found in the face of an impersonal virus that constantly changes?
Advent challenges us to re-kindle HOPE and let it motivate us locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. The top of the mountain of the Lord may just be in Bethlehem or wherever we set up that nativity scene in our homes or hearts! "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and ransom a captive world! AMEN