Saturday of the First Week of Advent
“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, … proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
… At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were ….like sheep without a shepherd.”
The New Interpreter’s Study Bible comments on the context here: “[Jesus’] actions manifest God’s powerful and merciful empire. They anticipate the wholeness that the completion of God’s purposes will bring, something [the Roman Empire] cannot accomplish. Unlike Rome, God’s empire especially benefits the “nobodies” who people these two chapters.”
We disciples of Christ do well to consider ourselves among the “nobodies, ” like St. Juan Diego in Mexico, to whom Mary appeared. How much media hype is given to the ordinary people who live out their lives in obscurity and fidelity and often in quiet desperation? Often politics, business, and sports come across as the things that are all-important.
But the Gospel, the “Good News” of the Kingdom is for all. Yes, even for the rich who are poor in the things of this time which count for eternity. Consider the psychic arena, where so much energy is spent on worrying about who will be, for example, our next president?
No, the Kingdom Jesus still proclaims, though the Body of Christ, his Church, that all ‘nobodies’ are heirs to eternal truths, as Isaiah said to guide Israel in today’s first reading:
“No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or to the left.”
St. Benedict begins his Rule reminding us of this walking in the Kingdom:
Having therefore girded our loins with faith and the performance of good works, with the Gospel as guide let us walk in his paths, that we may deserve to see him who has called us into his kingdom.
Reflection by Fr. Xavier Nacke, OSB
Posted in Articles for Advent, Daily Reflections