Third Sunday Advent

Third Sunday of Advent
December 11, 2005

"... In my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of justice...." (Isaiah 61 1-11). "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks... Do not quench the Spirit. " (I Thessalonians 5: 16.-24)

These passages draw our attention to prophecy, divine life within us, and the prayer which emerges from it. Prophecy is not primarily about predicting the future. The prophet's visions are meant to interpret the "signs of the times" in relationship to the love and justice of the Most High. Some of us like Isaiah and John the Baptist have received a special gift for going to the heart of things. John, for example, saw something divine and unique in Jesus long before it was obvious to most others. We all have a prophetic inclination whenever we make our own observations and predictions about the times we live in. Especially when these are intended to remind ourselves, rather than others, about what is important. Our own little "prophecies" are only as true as our personal progress in allowing the Holy Spirit to overtake our most treasured opinions.

What must it be like to experience, as a permanent state, God as the "joy of my soul", to "pray without ceasing", or to be thankful for everything? These ironically are experiences obtained neither by striving for them, nor by praying really hard. We often talk of "storming the gates of heaven" with many prayers. We pray compulsively with many words, pleading, demanding, bargaining, requesting favors and indulgence. There are times when it seems as if all these words are inclined to "quench the spirit "within us, rather than evoke it. As if God does not already know what we need and don't need. As if we need to remind God about all the problems we face. This kind of prayer may make us feel better because we are "doing something".

Another kind of prayer leaves a space of silent attention, waiting to be filled with God's presence and all the wonderful things which come from it, even in the midst of adversity. Recall the familiar story of the old woman sitting in the back of the church day after day. When asked what she was doing there, she replied that she was looking at God and God was looking at her. Often the most effective prayer is simply putting ourselves, and those we love, in God's presence. Praying without ceasing is a gift bestowed upon a heart willing to speak less, try less, and trust more. It is to allow ourselves to be "clothed" in God's life, "wrapped" in divine justice. How else could we possibly be capable of gratitude for everything that happens in our lives? God, in the divine Son, has come, is coming and will come to dress us up in Christmas peace, love and justice.