Monday of the Second Week of Advent
The Advent season presents us with images of the Messianic Age. Today, it is the highway for the Lord. What made empires strong in the ancient world were their roads. The spread of the gospel happened rapidly in the Roman Empire because of the well-paved and protected roads that epitomized the Pax Romana. Yet, in this world, robbery, obstruction, and misdirection were common. Even today, we have traffic jams. Out in the country near the abbey, I was delayed picking up a party from the airport because of naughty cattle who broke through the fence!
Isaiah’s prophecy was for exiles in Babylon waiting for a route to return unharmed to their homeland. It becomes for the Christian a prophecy of the highway to heaven Jesus Christ provides as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This road like the Kingdom of God is not only found in the distant future. Rather, we live in the already-but-not-yet, still subject to a fallen world but blessed and preserved by gracious care for the coming of the Lord.
Thus, although the unclean may pass over our path and the foolish may stumble from it, we still have access to the Royal Road to heaven. We see in our gospel that limitations do not mean that there are no options. Even amid limitations and hardships, we can find ways to the Savior – breaking through the perceived obstacles. In the case of the gospel, we see that there are those who are in desperate need of Jesus’ care but are unable to reach him. As friends or family, we can move them by our prayers. Christ counsels us to be both innocent and shrewd—and the shrewd will not take no for an answer when salvation is at stake!
Reflection by Fr. Pachomius Meade, OSB
Posted in Articles for Advent, Daily Reflections