Today we consider the call to continue the mission of Jesus by engaging in some form of ministry. Isaiah is called in order to be sent; the fishermen are called in order to gather others to Jesus. So it is with us. We are called to be sent out to the world and this call of God comes to us in the ordinariness of life. It will usually come to us as we wash our nets or our dishes, as we teach or raise children, as we prepare a brief for trial or examine a patient; as we repair cars or work at the computer. We are called to proclaim the message of the resurrection by any and every means possible. Some, like Isaiah and the disciples of Jesus, will witness in open and dramatic ways. They will teach and preach; they will nurse the sick and care for the elderly. Others will witness in less conspicuous ways. They will insist on fair practices in their own workplaces; they will weed out expressions of prejudice and violence so that a new and just world can be fashioned for themselves and for their children. Called in the ordinariness of their lives, they will witness to the death and resurrection in that very ordinariness, thus transforming everything into extraordinariness.
Traditionally this is the fortieth day of Christmas. Though the Christmas season closed with the Epiphany, the Presentation brings us back to some of the Christmas themes. The temple is not merely a building where believers gather to worship God. It is sacred because it is the dwelling place of God on earth. Therefore, the coming of God to the temple was always a time of great anticipation and excitement. It promised blessing and rejoicing. It took the eyes of the old man and the faith of an old woman to recognise that the Lord had indeed come into the temple. Ritually, it was the child who was redeemed. In fact, it is the world that will be redeemed by this child. He is the light that shines in the darkness of the world; he will enlighten all people, Jew and Gentile alike. This feast shares the theme of universality so prominent on the feast of the Epiphany. The king of glory opens the portals for the entire universe to enter.
Australia, ‘Down Under’, is a place to which people have been attracted by a vision of a different future, a future where human beings could relate to each other differently to the old order in their society of origin. De Quiros, the Portuguese explorer of the 16th Century, set out on a quest for ‘Terra Austrialia del Espiritu Santo’, South Land of the Holy Spirit. We could pause for a moment and thank God. For our land abounding in nature’s gifts of beauty rich and rare. For the divine Spirit of Pentecost attracting us to follow Jesus in this Great South Land of the Holy Spirit.
One of the major themes gleaned from the readings for today is that of the call to newness. God summons us to something new, gives us a new name, provides us with new experiences, launches us into new ministries, and calls us to sing a new song of praise. Even Jesus experienced a call to newness. Through Mary, God called him out into ministry, a ministry that would bring the fruits of the eschatological age of fulfilment to the whole world. We may be inclined to think of Pentecost as the season of the Spirit, but in reality the newness of God always comes to us through the Spirit regardless of the season of the year. In the world of the new age, the real glory of Jesus will be manifested in the variety of the gifts of the Spirit given to the church.
The gospel reading from Luke moves us from anticipation of the coming of the messiah to fulfillment of God’s promise. This theme of fulfillment is at the heart of the Christmas message. In the baptism narrative we see that Jesus has come into our midst, not only as a helpless infant, but as our anointed messiah. There is a dimension to this same gospel reading that opens us to a future yet to be fully realized in our lives. The one upon whom the Spirit descends has come to baptize us in that same Spirit. The reading from Titus is similar to the gospel. Both herald the appearance of Jesus and promise a future fulfilment for us. Renewed by the Spirit, we will be justified and become heirs in hope of eternal life. The readings clearly announce that: the Lord is coming; the Lord has come; the Lord will continue to come to and through us into the whole world. Under all of this rings the melody of God’s creative power as seen in the Psalm response. God promises to create something new in the wilderness of chaos. There the glory of the Lord will be revealed.
The incarnation takes place in human history, thus affirming the fundamental goodness of human life and concerns, and sanctifying them even further. The child comes from simple people, from a place that is relatively insignificant, thus underscoring God’s preference for what is ordinary. The body that was offered for our salvation, the body that consecrated us through having been offered up, was the body that grew in the womb of Mary. The extraordinary salvific deed of God was accomplished through his coming into the world as one of us. The obedience that Christ played out through his body fulfilled for us the promises made by God. We stand on the threshold of fulfilment, the fulfilment of an event that has already taken place. We ritually re-enact it so that we never take it for granted, so that we never forget that it is in and through human history that the marvellous deeds of God are accomplished.
Advent is a time for joy, not primarily because we are anticipating the anniversary of the birth of Christ, but because God is already in our midst (Immanuel). The readings for today, Gaudete Sunday, assure us that God is with us, not as a judge but as a Saviour. We rejoice over the saving acts of God that make us confident of God’s care and unafraid of whatever may cross our paths. We rejoice in the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Advent joy springs from the realisation that the presence of God in our midst can so transform our lives that the promises of peace and security will be fulfilled. Advent joy is the way we live in the tension between already and not yet.
While the advent of God’s coming with its promise of fulfilment show us that God works within everyday life, John the Baptist, on the other hand proclaims the kind of transformation that results in a change of heart. Reversals characterise such transformation: the robe of mourning is replaced by the splendour of glory; tears are turned into rejoicing; those led away by enemies are brought back by God; valleys are filled, mountains are levelled, winding roads are made straight; even nature offers itself as shelter for the people of God. Those who are shamed and discarded are made glorious; those who suffer are comforted; the oppressed are freed; all of life’s obstacles are removed; the way to God is made straight; the natural world enjoys peace and harmony. The transformation or repentance of heart takes place within human life, within relationships of justice between people and with the earth, in right living, in genuine unselfish love. It produces the fruits of righteousness of which Paul speaks. Advent is the time to prepare ourselves for this.
The readings of the First Sunday of Advent set the stages for our reflections on the entire season. They contain a number of promises, all pointing to peace and fulfilment. The promises reveal a loving and provident, a merciful and forgiving God. These are promises full of hope. The coming of the Lord is clearly a time of expectation, not of fear and trembling. Although the earlier tradition about the Day of the Lord included punishment of the wicked, the focus here is on redemption. The time of expectation may be preceded by apocalyptic signs in the heavens and dismay on earth, but this cosmic shift will bring fulfilment, not destruction. The love and providence, the mercy and forgiveness of God will be made manifest. An Advent way of life exhorts us to ‘wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ’. This way of life is both simple and profound. It does not necessarily require unusual behaviour on our part, but it calls us to live the usual unusually well. It affects the everyday events of life; it directs the way we interact with people; it informs the attitudes that colour our judgments and motivations. It is as ordinary as the birth of a child; it is as extraordinary as the revelation of God.