Deacon Tom Anthony

THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

Here we are in the Second Week of Advent, discerning the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I have to say that the first week flew by and now we are settling in for the remaining three. The Word of God is being revealed to us through Isaiah and we are asked to slow down, to remove ourselves from the day to day motions of the world and really concentrate on where we are in this season; as a Church and as individuals.

The Advent Wreath serves as a tool in this process and can really enrich our journey through this season. As we light a new candle each week, a special significance comes with it; not only for that season or for that week but something that can be carried throughout the year.  Last week it was Faith and Hope.  These words define who we are as Christians. We are told to have faith that Christ will come again, to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and to give everything over to Jesus. We are taught to release our troubles, to let go of our burdens, and to dry our tears. If we are indeed a faith-filled community, then we must do this. Know that Christ is our companion and our guide throughout this life of ours. It is a shared relationship. He feels what we feel and he understands when we hurt.  By embracing our faith, we are able to become closer to Jesus. By practicing our faith, we are able to develop and strengthen our relationship more than it is now. The more we do these things, the more we are able to understand the world that we live in.

We can relate to the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah, living in a world gone mad, was called to the Prophetic Office. He rose up and challenged all those before him to reform their lives, rebuild their relationship with God, and then offered a vision of salvation that would not be realized until over 700 years later through the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Isaiah, the stage was being set for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Today, The Season of advent calls us to the same task. We must challenge ourselves to reform our lives, rebuild our relationship with God, and have the faith and fortitude that vision of salvation we have through Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, this past Sunday the second candle of lit. We are further called to repentance and acknowledgement of our past sins. We are challenged to better ourselves and to conduct ourselves as Christians possessing the keys to eternal life. We are the keepers of the Living Word and must act accordingly. We are warned that we do not know when our savior will return but we must remain ever vigilant.

In Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, he described the Crucifixion as “a stumbling block to the Jews and an absurdity to the Gentiles. Yet, we hold that special truth so close and dear to our hearts. This season asks us to hold it so much closer and tighter. We are asked to embrace it. Inside our hearts, we have a longing. That longing is Christ calling to us. We might be restless or we might be frustrated. We might be overwhelmed or underwater.  We must turn to Christ and acknowledge what we already know: that he is God and that we are his children. From there, we need to slowly build everything around that simple understanding and everything else will fall into place.