By Fr Antony Christy, SDB.
THE WORD IN ADVENT – First week Saturday
December 09, 2023 – Isaiah 30: 19-21, 23-26; Matthew 9:35 – 10:1,5,6-8
Here we wind up the first week of Advent, which we began with the call “to expect”. That expectation is not a passive waiting, the Word had reiterated more than once during the week and today, the Word gives us a categorical directive – the right way to expect the Reign is to be active apostles.
We have that call from Jesus himself in the Gospel. Go, to cast the demons out, to cure diseases of all kinds and to raise the dead, said Jesus. He sent them all over, to go and be active apostles – but they had to first know, “apostles of what”, messengers of what? What was the message they had to carry? What was the goodnews they were to give with all these actions: that the Reign is close at hand!
The second question is, why they were to go and proclaim? Because they have received, they were to give! Therefore, what underlies this active apostolate is the realisation that they have received. Isaiah explains that in the first reading today: if you are prepared enough, “your ears will hear these words behind you, “this is the way, follow it”! The Lord has been good to you and if only you realise that, if only you grow mindful of that, you will automatically become an active apostle of the same goodness and hope!
Yes, these are the two objects of our proclamation – the key to the Reign: the Goodness of the Lord and our Hope in the Lord. God is good and we are certain beyond any doubt that God will have the final word, that the Lord will come to bless us, heal us, console us and to lead us. That is the Reign, the hope of the Reign, the Reign of goodness.
Expecting that Reign signifies that we get into an active apostolate wherever we are and in whichever way we can, to hope in the Lord and spread that hope!
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He has completed his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him on.