Bar. 5: 1-9; Ps. 126: 1-6; Phil. 1: 4-6, 8-11; Lk. 3: 1-6
Advent is a celebration of the great things the Lord has done for us and joyful anticipation of the “splendor of glory from God” to come. How are we to prepare the way for the Lord? The answer lies in the truth, goodness, beauty of love with the courage to take the first step in trusting God.
Consider the dance of courtship for a couple. In the first encounter of attraction the eyes look away in fear of giving away the attraction itself hoping the other has the courage to look at us. Christ is the other whose eyes of love gaze on us first inviting us to look closer at him who loved us firsts. In courtship we hope the other will give a sign first that they desire to seek us in fear of being rejected if we dare to seek first their attention. Christ is the other inviting us to seek him in response to his love. The “one who began a good work in you (at baptism) will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” coming. When do I seek you O’ Lord if only in my trials and sorrows that even then you are ready to respond to my heart?
In courtship we ponder if the relationship has a future for a lasting commitment and worry it may end in disappointment. In Jesus “fear not” his love is never ending, the promise of all promises called a covenant for eternal glory is a gift waiting to be opened. In courtship we desire the greater love that it “may increase ever more and more…pure and blameless.” Through Jesus Christ come the perfect love and the fruit of righteousness where we grow “in knowledge and every kind of perception to discern what is of value.” This fruit of righteousness comes from the courage to love first the other. The foolish turn away from love towards their own misery.
There was a young woman who left home for college. She always felt close to her mother but distant from her father. She desired a greater love from him growing up but feared they would not have that close relationship she longed for. He was a good father as a provider for the family but he was not very affectionate and not much of a talker. Most of her emotional needs were provided by her mother but something was missing in her heart, the love of a father.
Away from home she had time to reflect and God awakened in her knowledge that her father had grown up in a house of all brothers and no girls except for his mother. Her perception was that maybe he just did not know how to be around females. She made it a point to change that. She was going to dare to love first. The next time she visited for the holiday her dad was sitting on the couch reading the paper. She went over and sat right next to him, grabbed his arm and asked “what are you reading?” For a moment he forgot what he was reading surprised by his daughter’s outward expression of affection. They began to talk first of what was in the newspaper, and then she questioned him on his thoughts and feelings. She could tell he was uncomfortable and rather rigid but as she persisted he began to relax.
That vacation she kept loving on him first without fear often by just sitting down next to him and striking a conversation. By the end of the week he began to seek her attention, her thoughts and feelings. After she left back to school she would call home and if her dad answered he would go on and on so much she had to ask to speak to her mom. The days of her calling and him passing the phone to her mother were gone. Who dares to love first dares to please God. God will not disappoint.
The world is filled with souls walking inside their own silos longing for a loving relationship even within their own home. Suicide rates keep rising, drug use keeps growing, and families continue to separate and divorce feeling abandoned in their misery. The helplessness of victimhood is the lie of the evil one who desires us to see no purpose in a suffering world. We can accept the lie and continue to wander in this world or we can reject the lie and begin to believe in the love of God, in the heavenly glory to come with our Blessed Mother and all the angels, saints and our loved ones who have already entered into his kingdom. We can claim the power of his love for ourselves and dare to love.
Love prepares the way of the Lord. Advent is our time to straighten the paths of our relationships. Those mountains and hills that appear as barriers to God’s love must come down. The winding road that seems to go in circles repeating the mistakes of the past we can make straight with the power of God’s love. The rough ways are made smooth with the courage to do the next right thing so God can see our trust in Him. The first step in trusting God is doing the next right thing so he may reveal himself and we shall see the salvation of the Lord. The straight and narrow road is the road less traveled. Dare we be the one to love first?
This is our time to take off the “robe of mourning and misery” complaining why life is so difficult and our relationships imperfect. The cloak of justice is to love first. Trust God for the rest and we will discover the beauty, goodness and truth of his love not only in others but in ourselves. “The peace of justice” is our name and we bring peace and justice in the Glory of God’s name. This is the joy that lights our path.
“You are as young in love as your faith, as old in your doubts as your fear, as young as your self-confidence to trust in God, as old as your despair to fear change, and as young as your hope for the change God desires in your life.” It is the childlike trust to love always that we offer as our worship.
“There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make makes you.” (unknown author) Stay young, embrace love and live in the joy of his presence. He has his eyes on you.
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