(Is 41:13-20, PS 145:1, 8, 9, 10-11, 12-13AB, Mt 11:11-15)
“The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness” (145:8). The first reading today from Isaiah reminds us not to fear and to trust in the Lord’s plan for salvation; it reminds us that our Lord God is merciful and kind. If we were reading this passage before the time of Jesus, we would still be in waiting for the messiah, the savior who would be proclaimed by a voice in the wilderness calling for repentance and preparation for God’s kingdom. In the gospel we see this very thing happening with John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, who had the great privilege to announce the coming of the kingdom. It might be easier for us, living in an age after the coming of Christ, to see that our Lord is gracious and merciful, for he has saved us from sin through His cross and resurrection. Regardless of what age we live in, it requires great faith and trust to really know that God is merciful and kind. And He is, but it is not always easy for us to understand; it is not always easy for us to trust. Like everything in our spiritual life, it is a process that we continually engage in, to resolve strongly our hearts to trust God; this trust is grows through prayer, receiving the sacraments, and the way we live love and charity.
In Mathew 11:12, Jesus has some pretty confusing words about violence in heaven and the taking of it by force. In the footnotes of The New American Bile, it is suggested that Jesus might have been referring to those who opposed his mission, those who were trying to take the kingdom of God away from the people who had received it (maybe those who had received the words of Christ and believed in him?). Let us think about the things that Jesus was preaching during his ministry on earth, peace, love, forgiveness, the opposites of these certainly are violent. I think of jealousy, anger, greed and pride in addition to the terrible sins of physical violence. We see so much of this in the world, it is clear that humanity is in need of a savior who battles for peace. I love a good paradox, there is so much beauty and truth in them, and this might be the greatest paradox ever; that we have to fight for peace. Let us contemplate the idea that the ultimate battle for peace, is the fight within our hearts to trust God. The battle to trust completely, and totally; to trust that we are loved by God, that we are worthy of His love, that we are safe with Him; to trust that He is merciful and kind.
Our trust in Jesus is beautifully expressed in our celebration of the Eucharist every time we go to mass. Believing that the body and blood of Christ is truly present takes great faith, childlike faith and acknowledgment that our minds cannot fully grasp this great mystery. The sacraments are such a wonderful way to receive grace from our heavenly father, and allow Him to penetrate our very beings, our very flesh. It is a wonderful thing being Catholic and having these sources of grace available to us. It is a great privilege! I urge frequent visits to the sacrament of reconciliation and the Eucharist. They help us grow so much in our relationship with God, which like all relationships, require trust. As we continue on through advent, the time of waiting for the celebration of our savior’s birth, it is a wonderful time to study the bible and the story of salvation history. It is a wonderful time to contemplate how trust, (and a lack of trust) has played such a big role in humanities relationship with our creator. Let us pray that our trust in God take root deep within our hearts and souls. Let us pray that we find great joy in living in a peaceful relationship with God and that we might spread that joy to all around us. Let us pray for trust:
O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things.
Amen.
