“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.
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