Deacon Tom Anthony

A VOICE CRYING OUT IN THE DESERT

MY BROTHERS,

Through Hope and Repentance we are called forward by God to love him and to seek him. We have that hope through our faith that Christ will guide us to salvation and a life of happiness. Through repentance we are strengthened, knowing that we are forgiven for our past sins and have been reborn through our relationship with Jesus Christ. We are encouraged to listen to the call of Saint John the Baptist and follow it out of the desert which we have been wandering in through most of our lives. Christ becomes that oasis that offers us comfort, joy, and love that has been missing for so long. Even though all of us are at different places in our journey we can all envision ourselves in the desert and see it as a challenge to walk through it to Christ. Our relationship with Christ can always be made stronger through examining where we are regarding our faith. We can always do things better and as Christians we must strive to shape and develop ourselves further. The feeling of Christ's love can always increase and abound beyond what we are feeling now. The strengthening of it will never end. The more we respond to it the more it will manifest itself.

Living with Christ and allowing him to guide our actions will bring forward an inner peace and quell the spiritual battle which rages within all of us. What at first appeared to be a fruitless struggle will then be revealed as one that has many more victories than defeat. There will then be more times of peace and contentment. Our spirituality will become more powerful and the evil influences in our lives will be overcome. This is what the knowledge of Christ brings to all who accept him and repent from past ways and past sins. He becomes an ever-present force of power and wisdom which has the capability of defeating any obstacle that is put before us. This is the invitation that Saint John the Baptist presents and what God through Isaiah promises. Through us Christ's light will shine into the world bringing with it warmth, peace, and love. There are no shadows when his light is cast throughout his creation and there will be no shadows in our lives.

When we respond to Christ's call we can then adjoin ourselves to the Sacred Scriptures which becomes not only the Story of Salvation from God but our own story. We can relate our own journey to those who came before us and those yet to come. It becomes a celebration and guide for us all. Through the pages we all become bound together forever united with our God. It feeds us and encourages us. When we become disheartened or weak, we are invited to seek solace through the words of God provided for us. Our minds become oriented towards the wisdom provided and we are invited to seek the answers that for so long have alluded us in this life. All distraction will melt away as the complete and utter truth is slowly revealed to us.

The challenging question to contemplate during this Advent Season is if we are going to ever emerge from the desert. In reality we probably won't. In fact, we should envision ourselves always in the desert journeying towards Christ. As long as our eyes are transfixed on him as the end of our emptiness and desolation, then our surroundings will not matter. We will be separated from the physical and enter a realm of spirituality which will overcome anything that this world can confront us with. We will be strengthened and conditioned to accept all that is defect in this world and enjoy the perfection of God who brought this creation into existence. We will be able to experience the perfect good and then can put it into perspective in comparison to everything else. Instead of the desert ending an understanding of Christ being the oasis takes on a new perspective: In the oasis we find refreshment, encouragement, and strength. We then walk out in the desert again knowing that the oasis is never far from us while we always carry a part of it with us.

With Christ we will always have hope and we will always be forgiven. We are then commanded to spread this same message to all those whom we encounter becoming wellsprings of love and salvation. We must bear healthy and delicious fruit, presenting ourselves as an oasis for others to find there rest in. For Christ is dwelling within us and we must share his presence with others. There is a unifying factor in this vision which cannot be separated as long as everyone acknowledges and acts on this presence. A total reliance on Christ is needed and a total surrendering to his will for all of this to be possible. This all takes a renewed commitment and appreciation which flows forth from this wonderful season we now find ourselves in.

Deacon Tom