“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.” Aren’t these words beautiful? So many times people picture God the Father as a harsh judge, but today’s first reading for mass shows us otherwise. When God reveals himself to his people, it is often with much gentleness, like the way the sun rises in the morning, or how roses open their soft pedals very slowly and gently to reveal their beauty. God’s personal revelation of Himself to us as individuals, is often this way too. A gradual awareness of His unconditional love for us personally, slowly takes root and grows deeply in our hearts. The feelings of peace and certainty is beautiful and one of the surest signs of His presence. Conflict, stress and division is the work of the devil, but peace, harmony and unity is of God.
We heard John the Baptist cry out in Sunday’s gospel, “prepare the way of the Lord!” And that is much of what today’s first reading for mass is all about too.
Preparing for Christmas, during this advent season should not be accomplished through the rushing traffic, long lines in department stores, multiple errands, parties, decorating, cooking, wrapping presents and the children’s activities. These things should actually be kept to a minimum right now.
A simpler Christmas is rich in the things that really matter. You have time to appreciate them. Like having dinner with your family and friends, or putting up less elaborate decorations in order to have time to sit and appreciate the simple beauty of your nativity set, candles burning in the advent wreath or a Christmas tree lit up in the darkness late at night.
Watching the fire in a fireplace late at night, having a heart to heart conversation with a loved one, petting your cat or dog if you have one, or kissing your children and tucking them in bed at night and standing at the door to watch them sleep, are the simple things that speak to your heart. God also speaks to your heart in the silence and through simple things, especially if you have spent time with Him in prayer lately.
The first reading from the book of Isaiah ends with this very beautiful verse, “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock, in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom and leading the ewes with care.” God’s gentleness and unconditional love, care and concern for us is most beautifully depicted in this verse. And of course, Jesus has this same tender love for each one of us as his Father. They are not just like minded, they share the same heart.
What does the description of God’s tender, unconditional love, and concern for us have to do with the second reading which explains that the end of the world will come through flames and destruction? Or what does this tender reading have to do with the gospel, where John the Baptist is preaching in the desert and calling all to repentence?
God created us and loves tenderly, as His own children. We are precious in His sight and He doesn’t want to lose a single one of us, especially due to our own faults, shortcomings and sins. We are an imperfect people, that’s for sure, but God continues to love us deeply and has plans for our well-being, our greater good. The second reading speaks of a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. Peter said for us to conduct ourselves in holiness and devotion, while waiting for the coming of the day of the Lord.
Then, Mark tells us about John the Baptist, calling people to repentence in the desert, in preparation for Christ’s arrival. He baptized people who acnowledged their sins, and they were made clean again. The people of this time prepared for the coming of the Messiah by acknowledging their sins and presenting themselves for baptism, to be made clean again. This is the same thing we do every year during the Advent pennance services. We prepare for the coming of Christ’s birth, by acknowledging our own sins in the sacrament of confession.
Why do we do this? Why do we go to confession before we celebrate Christ’s birth? Many people think confession is just a man made “rule” and since other religions do not do this, why do we have to? That is why many people put off confession for years, because they think it is a man made rule, but perhaps it is also because of the guilt they have on their soul.
It is hard to go to confession. No matter what age you are, it is still difficult to go face Jesus (in the form of a priest) and tell him your sins. Just the act of saying your sins out loud is healing though. To let go of the past, to realize it isn’t set in stone and that there is nothing that you and Jesus can not fix. Things are not hopeless, they can be made right again, no matter how small or how big our sins are. God loves us so much, that He gave us the means of setting things right again, through His own son, Jesus Christ.
