Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
About a month ago I got a phone call from a friend who I had invited for Thanksgiving dinner. He was calling to see what the menu would be. He had to decide if the promise of Thanksgiving at my house was going to meet his expectations. My friend had gotten another offer for dinner that night and was torn in trying to choose where he would eat. I of course promised we would have turkey with all the trimmings and welcomed him to eat at are table.
For Isaiah, the table was set and a feast of rich foods and choice wines awaited the people up on the mountain. On this mountain Isaiah describes, death will be destroyed and there will be no more tears. And on that day the people will rejoice because God had saved them. The image painted by Isaiah’s prose offers us a glimpse of the eternal banquet, the kingdom of heaven.
The kingdom of heaven is also described in the poetry of the psalmist. It will be a place of peace and tranquility. It is a place where our soul will be refreshed and we will walk beside God again. In the psalm, it psalmist who recognizes the promise God offers and accepts the offer. The same promise is offered to us as well. Do we recognize what God is offering us.
During this season of preparation for Christmas, the Church gives us a gift called Advent. It is a gift that offers us peace and tranquility. It is a gift that calls us to open our hearts so that our souls can be refreshed. The gift that Advent offers us is a setting outside of the world’s materialistic rush, to make room in hearts for a savior. It is a savior that will provide for us in every way including salvation. Still the choice is ours, we know the menu, we know the feast is ready, but are we ready to accept the Promise that is Jesus Christ.