St. Michael and All Angels
We seek to be a light of Christ in the community, where all are welcome to experience God's love and blessings.

December 9, 2023 - Second Sunday of Advent

Last week, I talked about the theme of hearing God’s hope. Within the church in general, the theme of the second candle we light in Advent is generally considered to be Peace. Peace is an elusive thing for us – in our culture in general and specifically in our own lives. Every one of us has a different idea of what peace is, so I’ll start with three definitions that I’ve heard:

  1. a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations;
  2. freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, and obsession;
  3. tolerance towards others, who have different colors of their skin, different religion, different culture, different mindset, different socioeconomic status, different educational status, different geography; with doing no harm to them, and expecting no harm in return. (Nazia Asad)

Hearing God’s hope begins with quieting the noise and distraction!

If you subscribe to our e-newsletter, you may have read these words attributed to Hafsot Abiola, a Nigerian human rights, civil rights and democracy activist, founder of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), which seeks to strengthen civil society and promote democracy in Nigeria:
“Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are.”

We open our readings today once again hearing from the prophet Isaiah. To set this reading in context, it’s important to understand that the book of Isaiah – one of the longest books in the entire Bible with its sixty-six chapters – is likely not the work of one author. There are three principal parts: First Isaiah (ch 1-39), dating from the late eighth through early seventh centuries BCE; Second Isaiah (ch 40-55), which dates from the sixth century BCE; and Third Isaiah (ch 56-66), from a century or more later. So what we have today is the beginning of Second Isaiah, and it’s notable that the prophet’s language changes from past tense to future tense.

Returning to the reading from Isaiah, God tells us, “COMFORT my people.” It is a command that is not in the past or the present. It will happen regardless of our state of life or death. It is a future inevitability. It is not precluded by a wandering through the wilderness, but it is the future. It is a future when the Lord shall be revealed and all people shall see it together (Is 40:5). Peace is a yearning for wholeness, connection, and calm. This does not mean being at peace means you will feel it all the time. When we do not feel at peace, we need the comfort that God can provide.

In Psalm 85 today, we are told that God “will speak peace to his people.” “The Lord will give what is good… and will make a path” (Ps 85:8, 12-13). The Psalm begins with a reminder of how God has saved the people in the past and quickly transitions to a vision of God’s intentions for the future. Just as in the Isaiah lesson, we are focused not on the past, but the inevitability of the future, a future for which we must prepare.

The letter from Peter is written from a community so removed from the belief in the imminent return of Christ that they instead ask, “Will Christ ever get here?” They have been waiting for so long that they wonder if Christ’s return is worth the wait and what they should be doing in the meantime. Their patience is wearing thin… but Peter reminds them to “strive to be found by him at peace” (2 Pt 3:14). There is a peace that believers in the Jesus coming again can enjoy in that we know that all wrongs will be righted. It doesn’t mean that we don’t strive to promote justice or earthly peace, where we do no harm to others and expect no harm in return; rather we prepare for the second coming by making our lives a place where we promote peace for all.

And finally we get to the Gospel of Mark. The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ starts with someone else. John – the baptizer – appeared with the message that the people were to prepare for “one who is more powerful” who would baptize them “with the Holy Spirit” (Mk 1:7,8). John’s message is basic: preparation is an invitation to turn from one way of being to join in on the way that expresses God’s will, God’s peace and hope.

Through the din of the loud crowds, strain to hear the call to prepare. Make ready the way. Free your minds from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, and obsession; let your minds be at peace. This Advent we are preparing to welcome Christ into what has become a very divided and troubled world, a world much in need of the coming of the Prince of Peace. Today’s readings can help us reflect on that need and on what we might do to prepare the way for Christ to enter into our lives and the lives of others this Christmas.  

What obstacles do we need to remove from our lives? What rough places in our hearts need smoothing to allow us to welcome Christ? Are we willing to be messengers of peace for someone: a family member or friend who has lost faith in the Church; a recent immigrant trying to make a new life here; or the person who is discriminated against because of their lifestyle, race, religion, or political views?