Monday of the Second Week of Advent
In this second week of Advent, we continue hearing the beautiful words of the prophet Isaiah, as he describes the coming of the Lord. These words are particularly appropriate for Advent because they indicate a longing, a desire for something which is lacking, something which has not yet come. Isaiah not only imagines a better world, but he implies the sorrows and sufferings of the world before the coming of the Lord: feeble hands, weak knees, frightened hearts, blind eyes, deaf ears, and so on. Our world, as we have inherited it, is far from perfect.Advent is a wonderful season where we long for the coming of Christ both at the end of time and in the stable at Bethlehem. And yet, while we are longing for the coming of Christ, we know to that he has already come; Isaiah’s words have been fulfilled in the person of Jesus. In this sense, Advent is as much about the right now as it is about the not yet. Right now our God comes to save us. Right now we receive God in the Eucharist. Right now we have already been saved. Right now our salvation is at hand. Even in our imperfect world, God has come for us and is here for us just as he will be at the end of time.
In our gospel selection from Luke we see one part of the fulfillment described by Isaiah. Jesus has come to make the lame walk, just as this man today is able to do after being healed by Jesus. But we fool ourselves if we think that the point of this story is about a physical healing; we are misled if we think Isaiah’s words are fulfilled by a miracle-worker. Instead, this story is about God taking on human flesh. Jesus, sitting in the midst of the scribes and Pharisees, is God. And he comes to save by forgiving sins. Here he forgives the sins of the friends assisting the crippled man, but ultimately he forgives the sins of all by taking them upon himself in his crucifixion.
It is good for us to remember during this time of Advent that God comes to save us. Jesus, whether born in Bethlehem or coming again at the end of time, comes to save us. This is not a malicious God, but one who truly loves us and wants the best for us. On our part, however, we must be willing to receive this great gift of salvation. If we consider the men who are assisting their friend, we see what great lengths they will go to in order to reach Jesus - - imagine, taking up the tiles of a roof to lower someone down! They are seeking Jesus for the good of their friend, and, in this act of charity, they also receive a benefit.
Lest we forget, Advent is a penitential season. We must continue to seek God’s forgiveness so that we are well-prepared to receive him into our hearts on Christmas Eve, as well as each time we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Our God comes to save us... let us not miss the opportunity receive this gift.
You might consider trying to make it to the sacrament of confession at some time during this Advent season, as is traditional. What a great way to show that we seek forgiveness and are willing and excited for God to save us!
- Maria Morrow