John the Baptist came to a people who merely wished that the Messiah might come. It was a great fantasy in their minds. But they weren’t doing anything about it. John the Baptist taught them to change their lives. He told them to repent and to reform. He told them that they couldn’t be satisfied with doing nothing, just sitting on their heritage. “God can raise up children of Abraham from these stones,” he said. He told them to transform their lives, prepare the world for the Messiah. John the Baptist transformed their wishing into hoping.
Advent is the season of hope. Our hope is not just that we all have a pleasant and even a spiritual Christmas and survive the holidays. Our hope is far deeper than that. Our hope is that we will join Jesus Christ in the transformation of the world when he comes at the end of time. To attain this hope, we have to prepare for Christ’s presence right now. Hope demands action.
The same can be said for those who work for justice among the downtrodden, for those who seek cures for the terrible diseases of our day, for those who work for peace in the world. Divine justice, eternal healing, peace come to those whose hope in God has prepared the world for the Kingdom by bringing justice and healing and peace to the world.
The same can be said for you in all the ways that you work for the Kingdom, particularly among our children. Your hope in the kingdom of God has led you to make a myriad of sacrifices so that your children will be true and active members of Jesus’ Community of Hope. Your hope for the eternal life of your children has led you to work hard at being good Christian mothers and fathers, grandparents, relatives, and friends, so your children might be prepared for the final coming of the Lord in their lives.
Hope demands action. Hope demands commitment. Hope demands making the way of Jesus a reality in our lives. We don’t just wish during Advent and throughout our lives. We hope. We hope because we need to prepare for the coming of the Lord.
God bless! Have a wonderful week!