Advent Reflection, December 10: 'Good News' for Rejoicing

Second Sunday of Advent

Scripture Readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/121006.shtml
Baruch 5: 1-9
Psalm 126
Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11
Luke 3: 1-6

At Mass this weekend, after reading the text from Luke the priest will say, “The Gospel of the Lord.” And the congregation will respond, “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.” We do this by rote memory and usually don’t think about it very much. But it is actually quite important that we call the narrative about Jesus the “Good News” of the Lord. It is not simply another story. It is more than just an account of events in the life of Jesus. It is even more than information about God. It is truly good news about which we can rejoice, something for which we can lift up our voices in praise of God.

Think about the times in your life when you have received truly good news or have communicated good news to others. What was that like for you? When I was a seminarian, I spent a summer working in Manhattan for Covenant House, at a shelter for young people who were on the street. I worked on the floor that housed teenage boys. One day a teenager with some developmental disabilities came to the shelter. He had wandered away from home in Connecticut in a half-hearted attempt to run away. He became lost and hopelessly confused. We were able to locate his family and I had the responsibility to call them. As soon as they answered the phone I could tell that they had been worried sick. Hearing that their son was safe was a tremendous relief for them. I thought his mother was going to come right through the phone lines and hug us. It was wonderful news for this family to hear.

The Scripture readings for this Sunday impress upon us the truth that the coming of Christ is wonderful news for us. This is a message that is meant to be received and proclaimed in a spirit of genuine joy. The first reading from the Book of Baruch practically leaps off the pages of the Bible. It speaks in magnificent imagery about God’s people taking off the robe of mourning and putting on the splendor of God’s glory. The people are told to stand up, lift up their heads and look to the east where a new day will appear. Salvation is coming from the east like the dawn as a people once in exile return to their home. God is leading his people home. This Scripture text is exuberant in its joy.

Saint Paul writes to the Christian community at Philippi from prison. This small group of Christians is Paul’s favorite community because they have really accepted the message of the Gospel and tried to live it. They have also supported Paul in his imprisonment.  Paul feels that they are his partners in the work of the Gospel. So he writes to them in a spirit of joy, confident that God will finish the good work he has begun in them.

We meet John the Baptist as he comes on the scene in the Gospel of Luke this Sunday. Luke connects his appearance with secular and religious history in giving us an “official” list of the Roman and Jewish leaders of the day. The gospel writer wants us to know that this is a moment of critical importance for all of human history. And Luke tells us that John’s preaching fulfilled the words of Isaiah, who had proclaimed that all people would see the dawning of God’s salvation.

Do we see the presence and the word of Christ in our lives as good news? Do we experience joy in our faith, joy in our worship of the Lord and in our relationship with him? It seems to me that it is sometimes difficult for us to experience the joy of the good news of Christ. The troubles of our wounded world and the problems in our own personal lives can just seem overwhelming at times. When we watch the six o’clock news on television, there does not seem to be an overabundance of good news.

Sometimes, too, the Gospel can sound to us more like bad news than good news. Like John the Baptist in the reading for this Sunday, the Gospel challenges us to repentance, to be willing to change our ways so that they are more in tune with the ways of God. In a culture that places such great emphasis on self-fulfillment, it is not easy to hear Jesus’ words about taking up our crosses and following him. The Gospel summons to forgive our enemies can certainly seem counter-intuitive at times. In a culture that is so sensual and graphic, it is a challenge to heed the Gospel teaching about the proper expression of sexuality in marriage. When we are told to serve God rather than money, the Gospel can make us feel pretty uncomfortable. If we are serious about following Christ, we cannot tailor the Gospel to fit into our own neat and comfortable ways of thinking. We are called to allow Christ to speak to our hearts, to challenge us, to stretch us in our ways of thinking. Sometimes this sounds to us at first like bad news.

Nevertheless, we still call the message of Jesus, and the entire event of Jesus, “Gospel” – “Good News.” And you and I are invited to find joy in living our Catholic Christian faith, joy in the following of Christ. It is good news because ultimately it is God telling us and showing us just how much he loves us. God manifests to us in Christ how important each one of us is to him. In and through Christ, God is saying to each one of us, “I am yours and I want you to be mine.” It is good news because, even though trying to live the Gospel is a distinct challenge at times, we discover a peace and a fulfillment through it that nothing else can give.  We discover that Christ himself is the greatest treasure in our lives.

During this Advent season, we remember Christ’s coming to us as a child long ago. We celebrate the many ways in which he continues to visit us, especially in the Eucharist. And we look forward to his manifestation again at the end of history. As we pray together this Sunday, may we thank God for the gift of faith that brings us there. Let us express our gratitude for the good news of Jesus, for the treasure that Christ is in our lives. Others who do not share our faith, or who may be alienated from the Church, need to see our joy and enthusiasm. May we respond to the good news with our lips and our lives: “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!”

**** As I mentioned last week, I am recommending that our readers set aside 20 to 30 minutes during the week to reflect on one of the weekday Advent readings in preparation for Christmas. On Tuesday of this coming week, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is a celebration of singular importance for Latino/a Catholics. The memory of the Virgin’s appearance to Juan Diego, a simple peasant, is a reminder of the dignity of the native peoples, and the dignity of every person, in the eyes of God. At a time of the colonization and oppression of native peoples in Mexico, Our Lady’s appearance was a sign of hope for Mexican people – a sign that God identifies with and lifts up the “lowly” of the world.

I invite you to spend some time in prayer with Luke 1:39-55, the Gospel account of Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth and the Magnificat (Canticle of Mary). This great prayer includes the words: “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.” In what ways have you experienced God doing good things in your life? How have you experienced God’s abundant mercy?  Name the ways in which you have known God’s fidelity in your life and ask God for the grace to continue to trust in his faithfulness.

Robin Ryan, CP