COLLECT: “ALMIGHTY AND MERCIFUL GOD, MAY NO EARTHLY UNDERTAKING HINDER THOSE WHO SET OUT IN HASTE TO MEET YOUR SON, BUT MAY OUR LEARNING OF HEAVENLY WISDOM GAIN US ADMITTANCE TO HIS COMPANY. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Is 11:1-10; Rom 15:4-9; Mt 3:1-12.
“LORD, MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE, to DRAW PEOPLE TO YOU” Or "MAY I HAVE THE SAME MIND AS CHRIST JESUS".
The stories of creation reveal to us how serene, harmonious, and peaceful the world was, only in the coexistence between the rest of creation. The world was a paradise. The world turned the opposite with the advent of disobedience and sin introduced by Satan, and cooperated by man, thereby resulting in the Fall of Adam and Eve.
Since then, the world and all creation have been yearning and groaning for peace and harmony (Cf. Rom 8:21ff). Satan continues to use human beings, as well as human systems, mechanisms and accomplishments to disturb, disrupt or completely eradicate human efforts to restore peace and harmony in the world and among living creatures.
During the time of Isaiah, Assyria was used by the evil one to disturb the peace which existed among the Israelites. However, Satan will always be conquered by the Most Powerful God.
Therefore, in his vision, the Prophet Isaiah saw that Assyria would one day be like a tree cut down at the height of its power, never to rise again (Cf. Is 10:33-34). Isaiah also foresaw that Judah (the royal line of David), who cooperated with sinful nations like Assyria, would one day be a tree chopped down to its stump, but from that stump, a new shoot would grow to be the Messiah. He would be greater than the original tree and would bear many fruits.
The Messiah would be the fulfilment of God’s promise that a descendant of David would rule forever (2Sam 7:16). God would do all these for humanity out of his unfailing love for us. It was not his intended will and purpose to create us to live in disunity and disharmony. He created us in love, and he wished we would live in love and in peace. This had been disturbed and distorted by Satan, out of envy and jealousy.
This portrays what Jesus says about a tree that does not bear fruit in the Gospel of John. It will either be chopped down or carefully pruned to allow the fruit-bearing branches to bear many fruits.
In his vision, Isaiah, so to speak, gives us a picture of a new paradise, a type of the Garden of Eden, where creatures that are perpetual arch-enemies will now live together in peace. The wolf shall be the lamb’s guest. The leopard shall lie down with the kid. Calf and young lion shall browse together. A little kid shall guide the calf and the lion. Cow and bear shall be neighbours and their young ones, rest together. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den and lay his hand on the adder’s lair….’
In this ‘Isaiahian Paradise’, the causes of enmity, conflict, hatred, war and disturbance will be taken away or avoided. This is only possible through the Messiah, about whom John the Baptist prepares sinful humanity to receive when he eventually comes (Cf. Mt 3:1-12).
Today’s message from scriptures is very good and important for us as we live together, work together, play politics together, and play and socialise together in this world. We will certainly rub shoulders together, step on one another’s toes, and encounter conflicts. Should we allow these to destroy our relationships and our unity? We still need Jesus, urgently in our world, our communities, our families/homes, in our offices and in our politics to overcome the causes of disunity among us.
Several things disturb, disrupt and eventually destroy peace among us, causing hostility among us. These include: misunderstanding, acts of injustice, discrimination (based on religion, race, colour, language, tribe or clan, etc.), prejudice and hearsay, greed, selfishness, pride, false evidence, power drunkenness, hypocrisy, jealousy and envy, etc.
All these things that cause disharmony and disunity and destroy peaceful co-existence are like chaff in our lives, making it impossible for the good life God gives to each one of us to produce good fruits. We were not created with them they found their way into our lives through our cooperation with Satan. They are unwanted things in our lives. In the case of the other living creatures, like the animals, hunger is the major cause of their enmity. What about human beings?
The message for us today, and for the rest of this Season of Advent is to make a conscious effort to avoid, or eliminate, or to thrash and winnow all the things in our lives that erupt conflict, disturbance and disharmony between/among us.
We also have to be sincere with ourselves, such that if I am the one causing disturbances, disharmony and conflicts in the family, community or in the country, is this season of Advent not the opportune moment/time and a wake-up call from God through the voice of John the Baptist, to avoid that and to repent for the harm I have already caused to humanity, and then prepare myself for the Lord who is coming at Christmas?
It must be noted that in this grace-filled season of Advent, God is urging each one of us to desperately see the need for revival of righteousness, justice, faithfulness and love in our lives as we live and work with other people. May the Lord give us sufficient grace to do that. Stay blessed and may your Second Sunday of Advent be fruitful.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SUNDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORONATION’. (WE PRAY FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “REPLENISHED BY THE FOOD OF SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT, WE HUMBLY BESEECH YOU, O LORD, THAT, THROUGH OUR PARTAKING OF THIS MYSTERY, YOU MAY TEACH US TO JUDGE WISELY THE THINGS OF EARTH AND HOLD FIRM TO THE THINGS OF HEAVEN. THROUGH CHERIT OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@ya@yahoo.com
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