COMMENT ON THE LITURGY OF THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT
Collect
Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and [the]* dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Readings
Rm 15:4-13; Lc 21:25-33
Comment
The ultimate goal of history is the unanimous praise of the Father, in communion with the Son, through the Holy Spirit. The Gospel bears witness to this aspiration for all the voices to compose a harmony similar to that of many instruments, each different in its timbre, but all tuned in joint action.
This ideal is to be realized not only in prayer; God indeed, having welcomed sinners to himself, without distinction of Jews and pagans, rich and poor, ignorant and learned, must be glorified by all, with word and deed, in conformity with the gospel. As Christ has welcomed us, for the glory of the Father, we must welcome every man, overcoming offenses, dislikes, and differences of opinion.
In the militant Church, weak and strong in faith coexist. It is an inevitable reality since one cannot expect the same degree of Christian knowledge and experience in children and grown men. If everyone must strive for unity in faith, at the height of Christ's perfect stature (Eph 4:13), this ideal is not reached suddenly or by the imposition of authority, but gradually and progressively. Meanwhile, the child and the young have their rightful place in the family, on par with the mature man and the elderly.
Through faith in Christ everyone can find the fullness of joy and the ability to cultivate virtuous interpersonal relationships; as Paul testifies: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him" (Rom 15:13). And the Apostle adds: "by the power of the Holy Spirit": not the simple human effort, but the power of the Spirit of God can feed the flame of hope and fraternal charity in the Christian.
Christ comes on the clouds, and his victorious manifestation takes place through the Spirit, consolidating the kingdom of the gospel on earth, and favoring its propagation among all peoples through the work of his envoys.
But woe to that church where the institution stifles the power of the Spirit. The community can be strong where individual consciences express themselves and breathe in the search for a personal relationship with God, driven by a profound sense of responsibility.
In Jesus' preaching, we find the call to entrust ourselves to the word of God, to cling to it as an anchor of salvation in the swirling waters of human existence. His promise nourishes the Christian's hope: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Lk 21:33).
- Rev. Dr. Luca Vona
