Lectionary # 179. Thurs of first week in Advent, Dec.3, 2009

Scripture: Lectionary # 179. Isaiah 26:1-6. Psalm 118:1.8-9.19-21. 25-27.
Matthew 7:21.24-27:

Believing in Jesus is not enough! We learn this from his own words
to us today and they can help us to do more than invoke his name in prayer.
He tells us, "None of those who cry out,'Lord, Lord," will enter the
kingdom of God but only the one who DOES the will of the Father in heaven."
Advent prayers should lead us to putting our belief and our trust in Jesus
into concrete acts of love, justice, and peace. We are not to quibble
about whether justice is better than charity or both better than peace.
Once we are who we are to be in Jesus' love we integrate these and make
these three one. Wholesomeness, a positive attitude, hopefulness, and
seeing God's bigger picture (wisdom) are results of prayer put into action.
It is prayer that leads us to do the will of God and this is what Jesus is
telling us on this Advent day.

Isaiah also shows us that faith is not simply a matter of keeping our
belief in God. A nation that is just is called for in his prophetic method.
Justice in Isaiah is another name for God as we have already seen. Jesus
tells us through the First Letter of John that God is love. Both are
proper attributes in God and God is one. Our justice is doing things we
learn through our faith and putting them into action for the common good,
for the communities to which we belong and even to the whole world by doing
our part in this endeavor of God's work and plan for all of us on earth. A
nation of faith and justice is what keeps the hope for peace among all
peoples alive. Hope is a part of this Advent prayer and action.

By now we know that Advent 2009 is here and will never come again.
Our living out each day of this particular Advent is part of our spiritual
journey as believers and doers in the word of God. Jesus is that Word
become flesh. We all were startled by the one who signed or signs his or
her Christmas card with , "May the peace of Christ disturb you!" That is
the Advent message of active faith and faith of the heart. Advent is not
only a time of prayer and expectation; it is a time for "doing multiple
acts of kindness randomly." As Isaiah says in today's prophetic
announcement, "A nation of firm purpose (one that wills to do something
good) you (God) keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you." (Isaiah 26:
4). Amen.