Second Tuesday of Advent -- 12/6/2011

Second Tuesday of Advent (Isaiah 24:19-25:5)

Isaiah prophesied not only about the coming of Christ as a child in Bethlehem, but about the final reign of Christ as King over all the earth. In this selection for the second Tuesday of Advent, Isaiah tells us of the final judgment.

If you live in northern Virginia, do you remember where you were and what you were doing when we felt the earthquake this past summer?  Before you knew what it was, do you remember how you felt and what immediately ran through your mind?

When I opened Isaiah 24 and began to read v20, I thought back to this summer and the earthquake:  'The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind.'  Isaiah is writing about the final judgment.  As I stood ready to leave Wegman's and the building began to shake, I made the Sign of the Cross and pleaded to the Lord for whatever it was to stop.  I would have to say that for however many seconds the quake lasted, my heart was empty of everything except 'Lord have mercy.'

 Isaiah goes on to write that we are to praise the Lord and exalt Him in perfect faithfulness.  Is anyone of us able to praise and exalt the Lord without humbling ourselves before Him?  Can we praise and exalt the Lord without humbling ourselves before others?  Can we be obedient without first practicing humility.......true humility? 

I'm asking these questions because I would be remiss in my parenting if I did not take time and make you aware of the importance of humility.  Sunday night you told your dad and I that humility was putting the needs of another ahead of your own needs.  That is an excellent definition of humility.  We asked you who was the epitome of humility and why and you answered Jesus because he died for our sins and put our needs ahead of his own desires. 

So tonight, let's talk abut Mary, the Mother of G-d.  Her feast day, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is the day after tomorrow, and, really, how in the world could we talk about preparing for the birth of Christ and not talk about Mary.   I mean, really?  Let me ask you:  do you think that Mary showed humility?  But, before you answer, let me tell you some things about her.

As a young Jewish girl, Mary was considered marriageable at the age of twelve years and six months.  Remember that people had a much shorter life span 2000 years ago so at twelve and a half years old, one was of marriageable age.

 Luke 1:26-38,  The Evangelist tells us that in the sixth month after the conception of St. John the Baptist by Elizabeth, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the Virgin Mary, at Nazareth, a small town in the mountains of Galilee. Mary was of the house of David, and was espoused (i.e. married) to Joseph, of the same royal family. She had, however, not yet entered the household of her spouse, but was still in her mother's house, working, perhaps, over her dowry. (Bardenhewer, Maria Verk., 69). And the angel having taken the figure and the form of man, came into the house and said to her: "Hail, full of grace (to whom is given grace, favoured one), the Lord is with thee." Mary having heard the greeting words did not speak; she was troubled in spirit, since she knew not the angel, nor the cause of his coming, nor the meaning of the salutation. And the angel continued and said: "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end." The Virgin understood that there was question of the coming Redeemer. But, why should she be elected from amongst women for the splendid dignity of being the mother of the Messiah.  Therefore, not doubting the word of God like Zachary, but filled with fear and astonishment, she said: "How shall this be done, because I know not man?"

This twelve and a half year old girl knew and had studied and prayed and she understood that the world was awaiting the Messiah, BUT as she is kneeling and praying on this day, the Angel Gabriel has told her that she is going to be the mother of the Messiah.  She, who has not engaged in any behavior that would cause her to become pregnant, is going to give birth! 

The angel to remove Mary's anxiety and to assure her that her virginity would be spared, answered: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." In token of the truth of his word he made known to her the conception of St. John, the miraculous pregnancy of her relative now old and sterile: "And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth; she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: because no word shall be impossible with God." Mary may not yet have fully understood the meaning of the heavenly message and how the maternity might be reconciled with her vow of virginity, but clinging to the first words of the angel and trusting to the Omnipotence of God she said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word."

Let me have you read these words here yourself and pay attention to the part that is underlined.  Do you see that part?  THAT is humility.  Essentially, this is what Mary said:  'I have no idea how the Lord is going to do this.  I do understand that I have been chosen by Him.  So be it.  I am the Lord's servant -- His needs come before whatever I think mine are.'

That is humility (did I say that already?).  

So, let's think about this in relation to our own lives.  When you are asked to do something, do you respond 'yes,' 'no,' or 'wait awhile?'  If you are asked to do something that is inconvenient for you at that moment (you are at a crucial point in a video game or television show or movie), OR maybe you aren't even doing anything at all but you HATE doing what you've been asked to do, whose needs influence your response?

If your mom asks you to set the table or empty the dishwasher or take the dog out, does your answer depend on whether or not you actually feel like doing it or if you want to do it?

Are you beginning to get a more clear idea of what humility is and how it is so closely tied to obedience? 

Do you know that in order for us to be pleasing in the sight of the Lord, we must practice humility?

Please think of some ways that your behavior and attitude have to change in order for you to be pleasing in the sight of the Lord.  What needs to be swept out of your stable so that humility and obedience can move in?

Second Sunday of Advent

Second Sunday of Advent (Isaiah 22:8b-23)

As we enter the second week of Advent, we continue reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah. In today's selection, the Lord calls on the inhabitants of Jerusalem—those who have been saved—to mourn for their past sins, yet they continue to celebrate. They aren't thankful to God for saving them, and thus the Lord vows to humble them.

The word 'Advent' may come from the Latin adventus meaning 'coming,' but this past week, it has put me into 'search' mode.  Feeling called to light the candles on the Advent wreath every night of Advent and having a meaningful albeit brief message to accompany the candle lighting has challenged me to turn down Springsteen's rendition of 'Santa Claus is Coming To Town' and look closely at how best to spiritually prepare my family and me to celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus.

I've read today's Scripture verse more times than I can count - and i have read and prayed that the Lord would give me the words to share with my family.  I am beginning to wonder why some people think there isn't enough time to get ready for Christmas.......really.  I have decided that maybe there isn't enough time to buy gifts, decorate trees, send out cards, attend parties, throw parties, wrap gifts, bake cookies, etc., but the Lord in His infinite wisdom has certainly given us the time to prepare to celebrate the birth of His son. 

Tonight is the eighth night that our family is going to light the candle(s) on our Advent wreath, and listen to a lesson linked to the OT Scripture and our life today.  I don't know about you, but I think that after doing that for 28 days (even if you pass on Sundays or Saturday evenings after attending Mass), there should be at least something beginning to take hold in one's heart that provides a new perspective to the season........as in 'Jesus is the reason' for it.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo, going back to Isaiah's verses for today, the issue here is humility.  I can work with that.  Listen up!  The prophet says in v 11:  ...'you did not look to the One who made it.......or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.  The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.  But, see, there is joy and revelry.'

If we agree that Jesus is the reason for the season, then we must acknowledge that the reason for Jesus is our sin.  'For G-d so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son...'  And, if we agree that the reason for Jesus is our sin, then can we also agree that we should be looking to the One who planned all this long ago?  And, if we look to the Lord and His plan to send His only begotten Son to die for our sins, shouldn't we feel humbled?  Shouldn't humility find a place in our 'stable?'  [I know -- but it's such a great image........you didn't think I wasn't going to continue using it, did you?]

Do you find it thought-provoking that the world (which I have already determined does not have room for Jesus) doesn't have room for the reason for the season?  The Lord sent His Son into the world to die for our sins.  Jesus came into the world as G-d-made man......he was born of a virgin. 

Think back to First Grade and one of the very first things you learned if you went to Catholic School:  'Who is G-d?'  'G-d is the Supreme Being, infinitely perfect, who made all things and keeps them in existence.'  Supreme Being?  Jesus came into this world as an infant.  Born to a woman who (and I will go into this more as we get closer to 12/8) was the epitome of humility.  And, if I think about the Supreme Being, well, I am hard-pressed to think of anything more humble, more the other end of the spectrum than an infant.  A totally dependent being who is totally reliant on the love and care of another.  In that stable, Jesus and Mary bring humility.  And Joseph?  Yes, of course.  Joseph and Mary:  humility and obedience.

I would have to say here that if one's stable is swept clean and one is preparing for the Lord to move in, well, humility and obedience would certainly go a long way in making your heart a fine place to welcome the Lord.

Humility?  Serve others.  What?  You're only 8 or 9 or 10 years old?  Who can you serve?  Ahem........look around.  Why do kids consider responsibilities at home not 'humility in action' but rather consider it as 'chores' or 'work?'  Listen to me -- your mom and dad are tired.  You know how you feel when you get into bed at night and you know that in a minute or two you will be asleep because you are tired.  Well, multiply the way you feel by about 4,584,000 and you might be close to how tired your parents are. 

Can you open your heart, clear out some junk, and make room for humility?  Just humility?  Humility's constant companion obedience will show up with him, and it will be easy for you to let both of them into your heart.  I'm asking you to do one thing, just one thing that you think you are too good to do, or you don't want to do.  Just one thing.

Let this roll around in your head as well:  the time before our celebration of the Christ Child's birth has become (if we look at the world around us) one great, big celebration.  The world has taken the time of preparation that the Lord purposely placed in our liturgical season, and turned the entire four weeks into one huge party.  The world is doing what it can not only to totally obscure the reason for the season, but it is trying to cover all of its bases by making the event that we are to be preparing  spiritually for, well, the world is doing its best to make the birth of the Christ Child anti-climactic.  After the things of the world are 'over':  the presents, the wrapping paper, the parties, and the shopping, well,the world makes the actual event, the birth of Our Savior, more of an after-thought than what it truly is:  the fulfillment of G-d's promise to us that He would never leave us or forsake us.

My challenge to you is to do one act that causes you to practice humility OR to humble yourself.

Be ready to tell me tomorrow what it is.