"I Will..."

Homily for Thursday of the Second Week in Advent

In the Scripture text from the prophet Isaiah, we hear some of the most beautiful promises that God makes to the people, and which speak to some of the deepest longings of humanity. The Lord God grasps us by the hand, telling us to “fear not.” Then God makes seven “I will” statements and one “I will not” statement. I will help… I will make… I will thresh… I will answer… I will open up… I will plant… I will open. These statements are followed by “I will not forsake you.”

These passages are certainly comforting. After all, who wants to live in fear? Who doesn’t want to be taken care of? If we examine this passage more carefully, we realize that it is about more than just comfort. God makes these promises because God knows how debilitating fear can be. It is the opposite of the faith and trust in God that God wishes for the people. If we are living in fear, it means we have taken our eyes off Jesus and his promises; it becomes impossible to further the kingdom.

In Jesus, the poetic hopes and dreams of the first reading are realized. But first we must truly listen and respond to “The Word.” As Jesus says in today’s Gospel text, “whoever has ears ought to hear.” He alludes to the radical nature of living the Christian life, and goes on to praise John the Baptist as the greatest of those born of women. To be part of God’s kingdom, we must turn our lives over to God and not live them for ourselves.

As we prepare to receive the Eucharist, we can be confident that Jesus meets us where we are, at this moment, in this liturgy. He also calls us to remember who we are, and whose we are: God’s beloved sons and daughters.