Hughs reflection on the readings for Sunday, December 7, 2014 Second Sunday of Advent Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11 Psalm 85:9-14 2 Peter 3:8-14 Mark 1:1-8 My Webster tells me that the word “prepare” stems from a French word meaning to set or place in order; to get ready. Both the first reading and the Gospel urge us to prepare a way for the Lord and each gives us a picture of what that means. In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. I learned in a workshop once that in ancient days, when a visitor of importance was coming into a city, the slaves were sent out to the surrounding roads to fill in the ruts and holes in the roads and pound down the bumps, remove the rocks and generally do what they had to do to make a smooth ride for the dignitary. Isaiah and eventually John the Baptist in another passage, were trying to set the scale of the momentous occurrence taking place by dramatically increasing the scale from mere holes to deep valleys, from small bumps in the road to grand mountains. They were trying to tell us that the visitor was someone of universal, cosmic proportion, too big for definition. There is another vision possible. One of the ancient Church Fathers reminded those living in the fifth century that the gods we place on altars in the mountains and hills of our lives (a reference to a practice of some in Samaria and other places at the time of Jesus) will be shaken and leveled at the time of the Lord and the valleys, where the hopeful dwell, will be filled with God’s love and saving grace. All will be brought before God anew; a holy highway for us to journey. I had to consider then and do every Advent: what are my priorities when set against the dramatic breaking forth of God in our humanity? Can I hear God’s voice? The din in my own mind is often too demanding, too insistent. The Advent readings helped me to stop, read Isaiah and pray through the first part of the reading. Set the picture yourself by imagining someone close to you, one you trust who says, “God gave me a message for you. He told me to search and find you whatever it took, and whisper this into your ear: Comfort, give comfort to [insert your name], says your God. Speak tenderly to [again, insert your name] and proclaim (out loud if you can) that your guilt is at an end, for you are forgiven. The valley of hopelessness is filled with my presence, the mountains of hate and hurt are healed with me; the rugged landscape of your past is made smooth; the rough heart made tender.” John tells us the path to new life lies in repentance made clear in the desert of our lives. Reflecting on why the desert is so important to Isaiah, John and Jesus would give us plenty to dwell upon (for it is a place of discovery through the hardship), but for now suffice for our meditation to dwell on you alone with God, in the wilderness with Isaiah’s prayer. What do you hear God telling you? How is ‘your way’ made clear? How do you keep Advent new in you? How do you “…get ready”? God Bless, Hugh
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 12:03:26 +0000
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