Came for You

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.’”

Matthew 1:22-23

As we enter into the fourth week of Advent, we inch closer and closer to Christmas Day, the day of our long-awaited expectation. But, what exactly is the object of this anticipation? For whom or what have we been preparing our hearts these past three weeks? During the first week of Advent, we focused on the hope that comes from Christ. The second week of Advent we sought the peace that only Christ can bring. Last week we allowed our hearts to be filled with joy. Today and this final week of Advent, we come to encounter Love itself — Jesus, who is Emmanuel, “God with us.”

The fruit of Advent is Jesus. Jesus is the reason for our anticipation and waiting. We have been using these past couple of weeks to tidy up our inner homes so that we can welcome Jesus into our hearts on Christmas Day. In the fullness of time, God sent His only begotten Son into this world so that all might be saved. Jesus came to this earth for you and for me and for all, extending to us an invitation to eternal life. This Christmas, Jesus, of course, will not be born again in Bethlehem, but will we allow Jesus and His love to be born in our hearts?

Jesus came into this world to remind us of the reality of His name, that God is with us, not just in a heartwarming, sentimental way, but in a real and tangible way. That God lives in us. We who are baptized are baptized in Christ, we have received the gift of sanctifying grace, a share in the life of God. So, God is not just with us in a psychological sense that “we are not alone,” but God is truly with us — in all aspects of our lives, in our joys, our sorrows, and in the daily moments of our lives. Jesus comes to us this Christmas, will we allow Him into our hearts and allow His love to take root in our lives?

Let us remember that God is indeed always with us, the God who is our hope, our peace, and our joy, the God who humbles Himself and comes to us, we who by His everlasting love, have been made His very own sons and daughters. Our God is a God who comes to save us and to love us. This Christmas, may we find the courage to welcome Him, receive His love, and in turn share this love with others.

Patiently Rejoicing

“You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

James 5:8

“Patience is a virtue” is something I’ve heard throughout my childhood and adolescence, and now it has become one of my own sayings! On the third Sunday of Advent, the Church reminds us to rejoice as we hear in the entrance antiphon and the first reading from Isaiah. We call the third Sunday of Advent Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word meaning “rejoice.” Why do we rejoice? The Lord is coming! God comes to meet us, and for that we rejoice. In theology we often speak of the coming of God’s Kingdom as “already, not yet,” because yes the Kingdom, who is Jesus Himself has come to earth and has conquered sin and death, but that fullness in space and time will not be realized until He comes again. Yes, the battle has been won, but we here on earth must still keep fighting and turning back to God. So, we rejoice indeed, and we must do so patiently.

When John the Baptist was imprisoned, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He indeed was the One they’ve been waiting for or should they keep looking. Jesus told them to tell John all that they’ve been witnessing — the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the lame walking, and the poor hearing the Good News. In other words, look at the signs of the times. Look around you and see and believe. Later, Jesus clarified John’s identity and his role in salvation history — he is the messenger who has been sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. So, brothers and sisters, what are the signs of our times? What do we see? Do we see Christ in the midst of those signs? It might be difficult at first. The violence. Wars. Injustice. Poverty. Sickness. Death. But our faith tells us that God is in all of it. God’s Providence is there. Can we see it with the eyes of faith? We must learn to truly see and hear as Christ has taught us to, with His eyes and ears. It cannot be rushed for we must do so patiently.

So when the Sisters and my teachers used to remind me daily, “patience is a virtue,” what they were trying to tell me was not simply to stop rushing and take my time but to see things as God sees them, to know and trust that God is in control and I need only cooperate with His grace, and His will indeed will be done. We must be patient in building up the Kingdom by doing our part, living out the call to which God has called us, and to do so with joy and patience, joy because God is with us and patience because He will make all things new and bring good out of all situations.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, as we continue with our Advent journey and move closer to Christmas may we rejoice because God has so loved us and may we be patient because He has so much in store for us!

The Justice of the One

“Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.”

Isaiah 11:6

What comes to mind when you hear the term “justice?” Perhaps you think of a courtroom and a judge, a defendant and witnesses, perhaps even a jury. Maybe the idea of retribution and punishment or the concept of guilt and innocence comes to mind. Or maybe the scale of justice balance imagery. These come to mind because that is how justice is depicted in this world that we live in, one that is bound by time and space. However, the justice of the One who is Justice itself transcends this world and time and space. The justice of the One is defined by unmerited mercy, love, and grace, all of which are extended towards us and given to us, if only we choose to receive them.

Isaiah prophesied of a day where justice and faithfulness embrace, where the people will be judged not by their appearances, but by their heart. A day and a place where all will live in perfect harmony. This justice that the Lord will mete out is His love. “Not as the world gives do I give” (John 14:27). His justice is reconciliation. His justice is mercy. For all.  This may seem impossible but it is possible for God, for He can make a shoot sprout from a stump, draw light out of darkness, and bring life out of death.

The One whom Isaiah’s prophecy points to is the mightier One who John the Baptist proclaimed in the wilderness. John the Baptist preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” While baptizing at the Jordan River, some of the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him and he admonished them calling them “a brood of vipers” who are like trees that do not bear good fruit. However, John the Baptist still encourages them and extends the invitation to repent to them. For no one is beyond God‘s mercy and Jesus came for all.

As we continue with this Advent season, let us reflect upon the encounter between John the Baptist and the Pharisees and Sadducees. Are we Christians simply in name or are we Christians because of the way we live? Are we like trees that bear good fruit or are we trees that are just for show? It is not enough to simply to say that we love God and that we follow Jesus. It is not enough to simply post online about how much God means to us. We need to live it out; we need to live in a manner that allows people to encounter Christ in us. This Advent may we be like John the Baptist, who in all humility, lived out the call to which God had called him, making Jesus Christ known to all and telling people of the unconditional love and boundless mercy of God, that which is the justice of the One.