How aware are we
of God’s promises?
Early in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, the prophet promises a future of peace and prosperity to
those who are open to the Lord: in days to come, Isaiah says, nations shall beat their swords into plowshares and
their spears into pruning hooks, ending war and putting their energy into
the land, that it might bear fruit. But
the people must pay attention: Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,
Isaiah tells them, that he may instruct
us in his ways. It is only when we
are open to God working in our lives, aware of God’s presence, that we can walk in the light of the Lord. Only then can we embrace all that the Lord
promises; Psalm 122 cites the fulfillment of our journey to God as a moment of rejoicing: We will
go up to the house of the Lord!
It seems odd,
perhaps, to be thinking about the end times just as Advent is beginning. Yet, as we prepare to celebrate the
Incarnation itself, we simultaneously celebrate the fulfillment of all the
Incarnation brought us. It’s no longer
appropriate to carry on as usual, as if nothing has happened -- because
something has! Jesus’ death and
resurrection have radically changed how we see and understand ourselves, and we
need to be aware, to be prepared and ready, now,
to enter into that new age to come. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus calls his disciples to stay
awake, for at an hour they do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
Paul will likewise remind the Romans to awake from sleep, for salvation is nearer
now than when we first believed. God
has shown us the path and we must walk it; those who have come to faith now
know who Jesus is and what he has come to reveal. Like the disciples, we can no longer dwell in
the darkness of the past age, but fully aware of God’s promises, must put on Christ, and thus enter into a new
age with our eyes open, wearing the armor
of light!
This post is based
on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordart.com
