Saturday of the Second Week of Advent
Our vision is so easily obscured. Everything seems to vie for our attention to the exclusion of what is true and real. In true reality, Jesus is at the center of everything and, as disciples, we are constantly moving toward this reality. In the midst of the changes and challenges and chaos of everyday life, do we see this? Do we recognize Jesus?
Today's Scriptures are about recognition. The reading from Sirach speaks of the prophet Elijah and his 'wondrous deeds'. As a great prophet, he was not recognized for who he was in his time. At their own peril, the Israelites refused to listen to Elijah. It led to their community being shattered and dispersed. In the passage from Matthew's Gospel, Jesus speaks of Elijah and John the Baptist who were not recognized, just as Jesus himself goes unrecognized and will ultimately be killed. When we ourselves take up the mantle of discipleship, we, in faith, claim to recognize Jesus. Our individual experiences of Jesus deepen this faith and invite us to open our eyes to a vision of the world and everything in it as being in and of Jesus. It is a vision of heart, mind, and soul. Especially in what may be chaotic and demanding, we find ourselves recognizing Jesus in all of it.
Even hidden deeply beneath the many layers of things we initially find unacceptable or repulsive, we can know, with the eyes of our heart, that Jesus is there. It is in recognizing Jesus, alive and present to us, that we can truly follow him. This day, will we recognize Jesus' presence in every moment, in every place, in every person? Let us pray to God for the grace and willingness to do so.
Gail Lyman