Some of you may know we have a parish pilgrimage to Ireland in 2019. Something to look forward to, with all the sights: Dublin Cathedral, Our Lady of Knock, Killarney, Galway, Blarney…and of course distilleries and breweries.
In researching airlines, I read a story about an Air Lingus flight from Orlando to Dublin. One hour out, a flight attendant announced in her Irish brogue: “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m so sorry, but we have a hundred passengers, and we received only fifty meals. I truly apologize.” She continued, “Anyone kind enough to give up a meal will receive free unlimited drinks for the duration of our 7-hour flight.” Her next announcement came two hours later. “We still have those fifty meals available if anyone would like to eat.” I guess the moral of the story is: be careful what you offer!
This second Sunday of Advent, the word of God takes us to the sixth century before Jesus. Isaiah here speaks about a fresh start, new beginnings. The Hebrews are free at last from their exile in Babylonia—free at last to go back to their homeland to rebuild their lives. George Handel’s Messiah with its soaring “Hallelujah Chorus” immortalized this biblical passage. And of course Dr. Martin Luther King, speaking of his dream, revived forever the phrase free at last. Yes, scripture challenges us to begin each day with a fresh start in our life of discipleship with Jesus.
The second letter of Peter describes in apocalyptic images—fire, wind, and earthquakes—a new heaven and a new earth. Until Jesus comes again in glory, the author begs the community to live each day as though it were their last, for Jesus may come suddenly to ask for an accounting of our lives. That message is for us as well.
In the Gospel according to Mark, John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness proclaiming repentance: “Prepare the way for the Lord,” that is, repent and orient our lives to God and to our fellow human beings. And that’s what Advent is all about—preparing for Christ by getting our priorities straight: refocusing our lives on God and our fellow human beings.
During Advent, three biblical personalities--Isaiah, John the Baptist, and the Virgin Mary--deliver a special message.
Isaiah spoke about a Messiah, a liberator, a redeemer, a savior.
John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. The lamb, of course, references the Hebrew Passover meal, the Seder service that Jews celebrate to this very day. Jesus is the Lamb who through his bodily death and glorious resurrection re-establishes our relationship with God so that we can pursue our true purpose: eternal life with God and one another.
The Virgin Mary is the living temple of God, the ark of the Hebrew covenant, because she carried within herself the Word made flesh, Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus is the revelation of God to us. Everything that God ever wanted to do or say to us, God said and did in Jesus. The living Christ anticipates what we one day will become.
Advent also references Joseph, who had a dream in which the angel said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” Do not be afraid. I'm always with you!An overarching theme in the Bible.
As I thought about this dream of Joseph, I thought about what couples dream when they learn that they will be parents or even grandparents. They usually begin to dream about their child. The first dreams are usually for a safe birth, a healthy child.
Then parents may dream that their son or daughter will excel: win in sports, master the sciences, or distinguish themselves in the arts, music, or literature. They may even dream that their child may one day be a star quarterback for the Buccaneers, or a grand opera singer, or a mover and shaker in politics.
But along the way, dreams may change. Where they once dreamt about a genius, mom and dad may settle for their child passing courses in biology or math or literature. Their dream of a Nobel prize winner may all but disappear as they pray their child will overcome an addiction. Their dream of a sports champion may be forgotten when they wait and hope that their child will recover from an illness or an auto accident.
As I think about Joseph’s dreams, I think of the dreams of so many people. Yes, disappointment or bad luck or tragedy may change our own dreams. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.
But as Joseph knew, the most important things we can dream for our loved ones are these:
that they always know we love them dearly,
that we accept them unconditionally for who they are,
that we are always ready to forgive their so-called “peccadilloes”
(as I hope they are ready to forgive ours),
and we always pray that God will grace them with his gifts.
Like Joseph, let us pray for the grace to see God’s presence in all things, especially in ordinary things; to do things as best we can; to accept people as a gift from God even if they’re not quite the gift we hoped for; and to be a source of affirmation and support to one another.
I close with a favorite poem of mine about an old, battered violin up for auction, about to be sold for just three dollars. Things change course when a master violinist wipes the dust from the violin, tightens the loose strings, and plays a Christmas melody:
“The music ceased and the auctioneer
In a voice that was quiet and low
Said, ‘What am I bid for the old violin?’
And he held it up with the bow.
A thousand dollars and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand and who’ll make it three?
Three thousand once, three thousand twice
And going and gone! said he.
The people cheered but some of them cried,
We don’t quite understand.
What changed its worth?’ Quick came the reply:
‘The touch of the master’s hand.’
(and here's the point of the poem)
And many a man or woman with life out of tune
And battered and scarred
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
They’re going once, they’re going twice,
They’re going and almost gone.
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of the soul and the change that’s wrought
by the touch of the Master’s hand.”
As we prepare for the birth of the Eternal Word of God at Christmas, let us pray that the touch of the Master’s hand will tune us up into ever more faithful disciples of Jesus. And may our touch, our kindness and faith, be a channel of grace to those whose lives may be out of tune.
Especially this season, we pray, “come Lord Jesus, transform us into a new creature; and renew this planet of ours.”
