2nd Sunday in Advent

First Reading: the second section of the book of the Prophet Isaiah 40:1-11

{Isaiah is experiencing a heavenly vision in which he sits among the court of Yahweh and receives these instructions}

1Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
3A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 9Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”
10See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

R: Word of God, Word of LifeC: Thanks be to God

Isaiah again speaks to his people like a coach as the people search for the presence of their God. The Israelites have suffered under Babylonian rule for nearly fifty years. But now, the captivity is nearly over and Isaiah strengthens his people’s faith by sharing the promise of God’s comfort, accentuating God’s wondrous redeeming presence, and proclaiming the good news that they are indeed the people for whom God “prepared the way” back to Jerusalem. The physical terrain between Babylon and Jerusalem was treacherous. It had all the geographical elements listed by Isaiah as natural barriers to a smooth passage: mountains, deep ravines, and deserts. The return trip would not be easy, but by realizing that God was indeed with them, psychologically these barriers would be bearable. Like Ezekiel, Isaiah calls upon the image of God as a shepherd to calm the fears of the flock as they set out for home. As encouragement, Zion (the more ancient name) and Jerusalem are both told to proclaim without fear to all of Judah (southern Israel) that their God is not hidden but can be found in the faithful people, the anawim.

Israel’s freedom is accomplished by a very unlikely candidate; it is not someone clearly in the line of King David, but rather is the Persian King, Cyrus. He is not a Jew, a prophet, or a believer. Yet, Isaiah’s voice rings out proclaiming that God’s promise for freedom has indeed been carried out by a mesiah’ (Messiah), an anointed one of God. God has fulfilled His promise, even in this most unusual way. Isaiah goes on to tell the people that they no longer need to seek a king in the line of David because their suffering has prepared them collectively to be the “light to the nations.” They are to return to Jerusalem and be the voice for God in the world, because previously, this role was left to the king, and Cyrus would not be going with them to fill that role. This faithful remnant was God’s reward and recompense.

Isaiah’s is the voice crying out in the wilderness with the message that “the word of God” accomplishes what it speaks. In Hebrew, the word for “word” and “deed” is the same, dabar. It gives us an idea of how Isaiah wanted his people to understand the activity of God. God’s word is always fulfilled, but it may not be accomplished in the expected way. This is true in three cases: Cyrus was not the Messiah Israel expected, yet God’s will was accomplished through him; the Jews did not expect the Kingdom of God to include Gentiles (non-Jews), yet God’s activities are constantly being acknowledged by Gentiles, and; Jesus was not the Messiah Israel expected, yet people throughout the ages have testified that he in fact perfectly accomplished God’s will.

Second Reading: the Second Letter of Peter 3:8-14

8Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
11Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
14Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; 15aand regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

For what are you preparing?

The early Christians, like those to whom the author of this letter was writing, were waiting for the second coming of Christ, for the reckoning, for the day of God’s judgment, for liberation from oppression. As they waited amidst their suffering and persecution, they wondered why it was taking so long and noted how difficult it was to live “good lives” while waiting for the Lord’s return. The author does not explain away the delay; rather, he offers encouragement and a renewed sense of urgency to “be prepared.” The author rightly comments that impatience with our lack of wholeness can be a healthy motivation towards holiness, towards seeking something good outside ourselves. Sometimes, like the members of Peter’s community, we notice that the kingdom is not any clearer despite our efforts: greed abounds, talk of war sends chills up our spines, education budgets are cut, buffets for over-filling our bellies become the norm, and subsequently we become tired of our weakness and sin. We lose sight of the fact that God has willed the salvation of the world from the beginning, and so we fail to ask for God’s help to be a part of that salvation. Peter says that God has not abandoned us but is patiently giving us extra time so all can be saved.

The folks in this early Christian community were confronted by false teachers who denied the second coming of Christ and downplayed the idea of an invisible God who was acting on their behalf, and so Peter strives for logical arguments to prove that God has not abandoned God’s promise. Peter rationalizes that what the people perceive as a delay is actually patience on behalf of a God who lives outside of time. God allows plenty of opportunity for repentance. Peter goes so far as to say that our attempts to live holy lives actually hasten the return of Christ by making His Spirit more present in this world every day. We prepare for his return by living as though it has already happened!

The phrase “without spot or blemish” may conjure up images of a sacrificial lamb. In fact, at the time this letter was written, many Christians, including Bishop Ignatius of Antioch, were being martyred, often times burned at the stake or fed to the lions. Martyrdom was a real possibility for those who followed Jesus the Christ. Peter is offering encouragement to those who might be faced with this life-changing decision. Even in the early Church, it was understood that martyrdom (dying for the faith) was the greatest Eucharistic sacrifice a believer could make because a martyr was acting like Christ, giving one’s life for the sake of others. It was part of the reason communities would gather on the graves of their martyrs to celebrate Mass.

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

1The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
3the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’ ”
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In a play on today’s first reading narrative from Isaiah, Mark introduces Jesus at the beginning of his gospel as “the Way” and John the Baptizer as the “preparer of the way.” Like the Israelites whose way to freedom was prepared by God, we are able to find comfort and salvation in Jesus, the Way. Our anticipation for the arrival, not of a baby, but of this powerful Lord is heightened through John’s words.

Mark is intentionally using the poetry of Isaiah as a way to introduce Jesus as the Messiah. Mark was writing around 67 A.D., about 600 years after Isaiah’s poetry rang in the ears of the exiled Israelites. It seems that Mark’s audience is exiled as well; Christians who were being persecuted in Rome and throughout the Roman Empire because of their unwillingness to worship Caesar or participate in the Roman feasts. Now, in this later age, Mark replaced Isaiah with John the Baptist whose proclamation of good news tells us that God was fully manifest in Jesus. Mark also describes John as wearing camel hair, etc., which sounds a lot like the prophet Elijah. The Jews awaited Elijah’s return as the herald of God’s Kingdom. The Jews needed to look no further; they had the chosen one of God in their midst. God’s promise for freedom would be found in Jesus. The people of Mark’s community could relate to this new kind of liberator because he did not wield a sword; rather he showed them how to give their lives over to God and to die with dignity, whether physically or emotionally.

Early in this Advent season, Mark reminds us that in Jesus we see the fullness of God. When Mark refers to Jesus as “Son of God,” he means that this person has the qualities of God, like the oldest son in a family often carries on the qualities of his father, and therefore the proclamations made in Jesus’ name are worthy. We are invited then, to watch, to look, and to get to know Jesus and His ways. The Church, in her origin, was meant to reflect the face of Jesus in the world through time. We who make up the Church are meant to resemble Jesus, to lead holy lives in the world, while not being of the world. This does not mean we have to escape the world but rather it is encouragement to discern the world’s influences in daily life in order to respond with love.

Marana tha’! Come, Lord!

Taking it to the world:

Look at the road you are on. See the road signs along the way labeled with your actions, thoughts, and intentions. Do you see signs that say “Generous” “Forgiving” “Patient” “Calm” “Fun to be with” “Justice minded” “Concerned” “Prayerful” etc. Or do you see signs labeled with harsh and negative words like “Mean” “Selfish” “Loud” “Stressed” “Obnoxious?” Are the signs pleasing to you and helping you to live a joyful life?

Can you name an unlikely person in your life that helped free you or lead you towards your destiny (i.e. the calculus teacher who helped you get along with your parents; the angry widow next door who showed you how to be thankful; a coach who pointed out your leadership abilities, the break up that taught you how to forgive...?)

Where is your road leading to? Where do you see yourself in five years? What kind of person do you want to be? What will people speak about you? Be as specific as you can.

Families: Pick a metaphorical roadside rest area and make a plan to spend some time together. Play a game, read a story out-loud, work a puzzle, light a candle in the dark and tell stories about growing up or talk of Christmases past; ask your grandparents about when they were kids….

How are you helping to pave someone else’s road to freedom? Could you change your life in a way that would help out others in the long run (be less irritable, get more sleep, eat better, watch less TV, choose more sublime music, get exercise, plant a tree, read more, gossip less, journalize nightly, save some money, make a rain barrel or begin to compost, write a letter, pray ten minutes a day, attend a youth ministry function, say you’re sorry….)?

Listen to Handel’s Messiah and identify the parts that relate to today’s first reading. What emotion do you sense in the music? Does it enhance the message?

Mindfulness (set aside five minutes. breathe and read through three times. Which words or ideas hold energy for you? What images and feelings emerge in your imagination) “No one longs for what he or she already has, and yet the accumulated insight of those wise about the spiritual life suggests that the reason so many of us cannot see the red X that marks the spot is because we are standing on it. The treasure we seek requires no lengthy expedition, no expensive equipment, no superior aptitude or special company. All we lack is the willingness to imagine that we already have everything we need. The only thing missing is our consent to be where we are.” ― Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith

“Jesus had no trouble with the exceptions, whether they were prostitutes, drunkards, Samaritans, lepers, Gentiles, tax collectors, or wayward sheep. He ate with outsiders regularly, to the chagrin of the church stalwarts, who always love their version of order over any compassion toward the exceptions. Just the existence of a single mentally challenged or mentally ill person should make us change any of our theories about the necessity of some kind of correct thinking as the definition of “salvation.” Yet we have a history of excluding and torturing people who do not “think” right.” ― Richard Rohr, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the reformation begun by Martin Luther. Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist, is a declaration of the consensus achieved by Lutherans and Catholics as the result of ecumenical dialogue between the two communions between 1965 and 2015.

III. AGREEMENTS IN THE LUTHERAN/ROMAN CATHOLIC DIALOGUES— ELABORATED AND DOCUMENTED B. Ministry 13. Lutherans and Catholics agree that the ordained ministry belongs to the essential elements that express the church’s apostolic character and that also contribute, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to the church’s continuing apostolic faithfulness (cf. Apostolicity, § 271).

The comprehensive examination of apostolicity presented by the fourth phase of world-level dialogue examined “the ‘elements’ which, by the power of the Holy Spirit, contribute to building up the church ‘upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone’ (Ephesians 2:20). Among these elements are the Holy Scriptures, the communication of God’s word in proclamation, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, the office of the keys, catechesis as transmission of the apostolic tradition, the Creeds, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments.” These elements, which are truly “institutions and enactments of the communication of the word of God in which the content of the apostolic gospel becomes present to bring salvation to human beings,” can play their parts in maintaining the apostolicity of the church only by involving human beings. Thus, Apostolicity asserts, “There is no testimony without a witness, no sermon without a preacher, no administration of the sacraments without a minister, but also no testimony and no sermon without people who listen, no celebration of the sacraments without people who receive them” (§ 165).