+ We begin again! This is actually “New Year’s Day” in the Church: the beginning of a brand new liturgical year of grace with twelve months ahead of us to once again behold the great mystery of our faith: the coming as Savior of the very Son of God himself – who became for us Jesus, Christ, the Lord.
The Advent season is the time
to look back into our Jewish history and see the great preparation that God
himself made before the actual birth of the Messiah on what we refer to as Christmas
Day. This history tells of a people, formed by God to be his family, who
found themselves in situations more and more intense and even dangerous –
mostly by their constant disobedience to him. God had to rescue this people
over and over again; but at the same time they were always longing and yearning
for a true and lasting liberator, Messiah, who would free them from all their
slaveries and be their leader triumphant against all their enemies.
God had this same desire for
them, but with a twist; this Messiah and King would not be of a
political bent, as they thought he might be, he would instead inaugurate a spiritual kingdom that would last
forever; and the slavery that he would free them from was the most deadly of
all: sin – which, unless he had come to forgive it, would have kept them, and everyone
else, out of that kingdom forever!
And so, when the time was
right – and the hopelessness of this people was immense and their longing was
at the bursting point – “this fullness of time” produced the familiar story
that we will hear about in the coming weeks: the arrival of the magnificent
Lord of the universe, in the tiny body of a little baby boy! Our God is so
powerful that he could do this: out of love for us!
Our readings today are
magnificent: this yearning, groveling people know that they are but “bits of
clay, and that God is the potter;” and as works of his hands they ask for
freedom, mercy and love! And he gives it! The gospel passage encourages us to be watchful and waiting both for the
second coming of Jesus, but also in a new way this new year: the first. Let our
hearts burst with yearning and hoping and crying out to God for his peace and
his love: and he will give them – just as though we were there at the stable in
Bethlehem. There is reason to have hope – regardless of what is happening in
our families, our countries, our world - God is faithful to his promises – he
is devoted to those who are searching for his face: he will show it to them!
Dear Lord, show us your love; and grant us your
salvation!