First Reading: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 Responsorial: Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Gospel: Mark 13:33-37
Prophecy as Starlight by Bishop Richard Henning
On a clear night, we can look up and see the beauty of the stars shining in the heavens. Of course, even on a clear night, our sky has nothing near the number of stars or brilliance that may be seen away from the light pollution of our cities. Herein lies a paradox: we need darkness to see the light. There are some forms of beauty, some forms of light that are so subtle that they require darkness to reveal themselves.
With this Sunday, we begin another Advent. As we walk through the darkest time of the year, we learn to perceive and treasure the light of God in our midst. The lights of Advent are subtle and beautiful and all too often overwhelmed by the glaring lights and of our headlong rush towards Christmas. To receive the gift of Advent, the faithful Christian must be willing to linger a little longer in the shadows, to give time to reflection, and a chance for that subtle starlight of Advent to reveal its brilliance. Part of Advent’s subtlety emerges from its nature as a time of prophecy. Prophecy, even when strongly worded, is textured and rich in multiple layers of meaning. It requires careful reading to perceive its truth.
Today we hear from the principle prophet of the Advent Season, Isaiah. The passage in question is drawn from the latter third of the Book of Isaiah and reflects a particular period in the life of Israel. The people have been released from their exile in Babylon and have returned to the Holy Land. The initial euphoria of their return has turned to disappointment in their progress in reestablishing the nation. Some have even despaired and fallen away from the covenant. Isaiah acknowledges that God is rightly angry at the people for their infidelity and has drawn away from them. But Isaiah reminds the Lord, and the people themselves, that they cannot endure apart from the Lord. He prays that the Lord draw near as he did at Sinai in a transformative encounter with the people. Even though the moment will be fearsome, the beautiful image of the potter and the clay emphasizes the return will be to intimacy between the Lord and the people.
While Isaiah’s passage has its own context and meaning for the people of that day, Christians read this passage on yet another level. We see Isaiah’s fervent desire for a new intimacy of the Lord finding fulfillment in the Christ event when God visits his people in a manner even more momentous than the Sinai event. The use of Psalm 80 suggests as much. It, too, appeals for a return of the Lord, invoking God with the imagery of the shepherd who saves the flock and the one who rules and cultivates the vine that is Israel. Significantly, the Psalm also speaks of a more mysterious figure, a “son of man” who will bring about the return of the Lord to his people.
Paul’s words to the Corinthians in the second reading remind his hearers of the marvelous effect of the Christ event upon those who believe. He also reminds them that the story is not yet complete. Just as Christ has initiated this new and remarkable encounter between God and humanity, so Christ will bring the encounter to its fulfillment at the end of time. Paul prays that God will keep them firm and irreproachable until that time.
The Gospel passage comes from chapter thirteen of Mark’s Gospel. This particular chapter, sometimes called the “little apocalypse,” relates Jesus’ prophecy about the end times. There is a strong emphasis on the challenges that face the believer in the in-between time. These verses summon to readiness and watchfulness for the Lord. As Israel looked for and longed for the day of the Lord and the proclamation of God’s reign, so the Christian community must anticipate the moment when Jesus will bring that proclamation to its ultimate fulfillment.
The Advent Season is not merely preparation for the celebration of the Christmas season. There are layers to the experience as we also look to the return of Christ at the end of the ages and seek a renewal of the Lord’s presence here and now in our lives. This season, a gift of God given to the Church, is an opportunity to see the stars of prophecy and perceive the presence of God written into their beautiful and subtle light.
