Beyond Words

Anyone who has ever had a team in the championship game is familiar with the desire to trash talk. You’ve watched your team beat opponents, survive the playoffs, and make it to the finals. Even if the opponent is bigger or better on paper, your confidence has you believing that your team has a fighting chance. Your hope leads to a certainty that is outwardly expressive. God’s people weren’t even in the championship game when Isaiah spoke and penned this first reading. They weren’t even winners in the earthly sense. In fact, they were actually in ruin. They were slaves without a land to call home. They were scattered, weakened, and hopeless. They were not a team that would instill fear in an opponent, yet these were the people God sent Isaiah to inspire. God promised his people that they would be victorious, that he was with them, and that he already had a plan inthe works. In a time of great timidity, God told them to be bold in proclamation, joy, and hope.

St. Peter has this same sense of hope and boldness in the second
reading. Even in the midst of persecution, Peter sees brighter days coming. He reminds the Church (and us) not to put God on our own timetable and to trust in his promises. He urges us to change our ways and live holy lives now instead of waiting, a theme continued within the gospel account. John the Baptist proclaims that God is sending a redeemer to save us through a powerful new baptism. Because of this, all those with ears to hear should repent and seek out holiness.

No matter how we have been doing in our faith journey, the
season of Advent provides the opportunity to return to the Lord
in the sacraments, reminding us we should be “eager to be found
without blemish” as St. Peter encourages. During these next weeks
of Advent, our focus will demonstrate whether we seek our holiness
as proactively as the Lord seeks us. With the aid of Christ’s grace, we
will be victorious. The championship trophy will be ours if we are
united with him. Even if we can’t find confidence in ourselves, we
should always have confidence in God. Raise your hearts to heaven
with great gladness. Let your voices cry out to the God who never
abandons us and who lifts us to victory with his mighty arm.

This excerpt from One Sunday at a Time: Preparing Your Heart for Weekly Mass (Cycle B) is reprinted with permission of Ave Maria Press.