2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT A
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GOD OF HOPE
The distinguishing mark of Advent
is hope; this is the season of hope. It may not be too obvious with all the
“immediate” jump into the Christmas spirit, given the materialism that
overrides the season. Nevertheless, the Word of God reminds us that as we wait
for the Lord, we exercise the hope in our hearts.
What is hope? I think we can
simply say it is like waiting for the “not yet.” We know that something will
happen, sooner or later, but for now it is not yet. Still, we put our hearts
into this thing we await. “I hope to win the lotto megaprize. I hope to marry
my sweetheart. I hope to graduate this year. I hope to pay my debts.”
Let us focus on the second
reading, Romans 15: 4-9, where Paul explains that God intends that “we might
have hope.” We can obtain this sense of hope if we practice endurance and if we
listen to the encouragement of Scriptures. In fact, and this is interesting,
Paul introduces a new title of God – “the God of endurance and encouragement.”
This is my first time to notice this.
God is the God of endurance.
Endurance is patience in suffering, acceptance of daily sacrifices, persistence
in the midst of trials. God is the God of encouragement. He cheers us on while
we fight the battles of life. He speaks to us his Word in Scriptures so that we
may walk in confidence whatever life may throw at us.
Today, we have a big problem in
the world. Instead of endurance, many people simply give up when trials come.
Instead of encouragement, we give in to despair when we cannot see the light.
That is why Advent comes each year to assure us that the Lord is coming, he is
near! In the Gospel, Mt 3: 1-12 the Baptist proclaims that the Messiah is at
the doorsteps. And he brings with him power from the Holy Spirit and the fire
of love from the Father. We need not lose heart! We must be full of hope!
A friend told me how after many
years of battling cancer, she is now tired, stressed and weary. A new growth
was found in her body and another surgery was scheduled. And yet, she also
expressed that though her body is distressed, her heart is strong because she
continues to hope in Jesus. Like her, may we not listen to the negative reports
of life, but adhere only to the God of endurance and encouragement who is with
us always!
