Isaiah 4:2-6
Psalms 20, 21, 110, 116, and 117
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Luke 21:5-19
Luke 21:5-19
Our Advent
lessons call us to a time of sacrifice and preparation. While our consumerist-driven culture calls us
to shop, the Church calls us to a sober assessment of our lives and a candid
judgment of our discipleship. This is
not an easy navigation. Who among us
really wants to hear Jesus speaking of destruction, persecution, and being
hated for his sake? Luke's gospel does
not spare us anything in that regard. The
same Luke who gives us the sweet Bethlehem narrative with the shepherds in the
field, and who proclaims the virtuosity of Mary in unforgettable poetry, also
has Jesus predicting his destruction, and the corruption of things made by
human hands. There's more: Jesus warns of great suffering on the part of
those who claim to be his disciples. It's
powerful, the prediction of being brought up before the synagogues, thrown into
prisons, and standing powerless before kings and governors for his sake. Even the closest of kin, parents and
siblings, and good friends will betray us to worldly authority. Of course, according to Luke, Jesus also says
that he will provide us with the right testimony in due time for the moment of
truth. Some comfort. Some pre-Christmas message, isn't it? We must
not dismiss this part of the Gospel any more than we would turn away from the
bucolic manger scene. Indeed, the
greatest part of the history of the Church is anchored in the very sort of
trouble that Jesus speaks of. As the
coming year goes by, pay attention to the saints we speak of on our
calendar. They are emblems of suffering
and sacrifice. These are people who
never asked the Church "What's in it for me?"
Fr. Bill Fowler