THE IMAGES OF GOD

The Season of Advent is a wonderful time for reflecting and deepening our faith. The liturgical year of the Church begins with the Season of Advent which prepares us for the meaningful celebration of Christmas. There are four Sundays in the Season of Advent and each Sunday carries a specific theme in order for us to focus more deeply into the mystery of Christmas. Changing our images of God according to the Divine Revelation is a wonderful way of celebrating the Season of Advent.

The first Sunday of Advent centers on our capacity to change and renew our image of God. We do not create our own image of God. To meaningfully celebrate the Season of Christmas, we need to change our wrong image of God. We might have thought of God as mere person whom we approach when we need Him. Advent is a period to rectify our way of looking at God. The first reading, from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah reveals to us the 4 images of who God is.

1. Father- The Book of the Prophet Isaiah proclaims God as “Father.” The commemoration of the birth of Jesus as a Son of God entails that God is a Father who sent His Son into the world. God yearns for our hearts to depend on Him, to show our faith and trust in Him, to supplicate for our daily needs, and to implore His help in all our undertaking. Jesus taught His disciples to pray the “Our Father” in order for them to treat God as a Father who provides their needs and forgives their sins.

2. Redeemer- The Prophet Isaiah introduces God as a redeemer. This is to illustrate that when a person realizes that he is a sinner, he would seek for God’s forgiveness. God’s mercy would be part and a manifestation of His redemptive will. In the Second Reading today, St. Paul reminded the Corinthian church to regard Jesus as merciful and faithful. He said: “God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” The Prophet Isaiah also demonstrated God as whom the People of Israel transgressed. The Prophet underlined the people saying: “Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful; all of us have become like unclean people.”

3. Forever- The Prophet Isaiah reveals that the name of God is “forever.” This is to illustrate that life and all things in the world are temporary. Nothing in this world is permanent and eternal. Recognizing this difference leads us to the meaningful celebration of the Mystery of the Incarnation. Every mass we participate and celebrate is a clear indication that we seek for eternal grace from God. We do not rely on ourselves because all us are weak and finite in the world. The temporariness of life is seen in what Benedict XVI says about God’s coming as a sort of “visitatio.”  The Mystery of the Incarnation is a form of a visitation and it demonstrates that the world is not our final home. God visits His people means that God reminds us that this is not our permanent place on earth nor it’s the true place of Christ though He became flesh like us in all things but sin.

4. Potter- the fourth image that the Prophet Isaiah reveals to us is that of a potter. God is the potter and we are the clay. He forms us according to His will. He molds us according to His design and He shapes us according to the vocation He wants of us. If we regard God as the potter of our lives, then as clay we submit ourselves to God’s mind and heart. As clay, God’s hands become the source of grace because His hands are symbolic of guidance and direction.

The mystery of God is at the heart of the readings today. We know that the readings of the Sundays of Advent are indeed significant for reflection in preparation for the Season of Christmas. As the Son is to be born on Christmas day, the readings reveal as they were “hidden” the identity of God. Each Sunday reveals the nature and the identity of God and all these images will all be present in Christ. In the first Sunday of Advent, the first reading highlights the images of God as: Father, Redeemer, Forever, and Potter. Today’s readings reveal the nature of God as “mystery” and this will be discernible in the Son who to be born. Let us see how the mystery of God is illustrated.

1. “like a shepherd”- in the first reading, we find the Prophet Isaiah describing God as having: a) who forgives sins. The prophet said that brings “comfort” to His people in Jerusalem by expediating their guilt; b) who fulfills promises. The prophet Isaiah prophesized that Jerusalem should prepare the way of the Lord and make straight their paths. They will witness God the glory of the Lord and God will fulfill everything He has spoken. The glory of God is all about His mercy towards His people; c) who will come in power. The prophet Isaiah speaks of God who will be coming who will rule Jerusalem with His strong arm which means He will defend Jerusalem from all its enemies and never be thrown into exile again. He is a God who rewards and His recompense is with Him. All these mighty signs and events to be revealed are enormously indescribable which the Prophet could only describe God’s goodness and might. He describes God as a “Shepherd” who protects, feeds, and guides with His arm.

2. “like a thief”- in the second reading today, St. Peter could not wholly describe the “day of the Lord” or the coming of God to judge the earth but just to say “like a thief” which will mysteriously come in an unexpected time. The Season of Advent reminds us to live in the mystery of God. The second reading leads us to reflect about the ways we should do in order for us to face the critical time of the Lord’s coming: a) not to ignore the mystery of the Lord, “that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day” because the Lord governs time; b) remember God’s mercy. The reading says that “God is patient with you, not wishing you to perish”; c) conduct holiness of life. As everything will be dissolved and everything will pass away, the second reading exhorts that we should live in holiness of life and devotion. As the Lord will come mysteriously in a mighty roar and everything will be destroyed by fire, St. Peter could only describe the mystery of the Lord’s coming and His actions at the end of time as “like a thief” in whose day and time of stealing can never be known.

3. “one mightier than I”- John the Baptist foreshadows a person who will be coming in the future and is greater than he. Acknowledging someone greater that we are is celebrating Advent more meaningfully. A person who recognizes someone is greater than himself will show dependence on God. The Season of Advent invites us to recognize someone who is greater than us then Christmas would be meaningful. This leads us towards the dispositions of humility and faith. The role and disposition of John the Baptist may be our dispositions in our approach to Christmas. 

THE  JOY OF GOD

Today the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday. The word Gaudete is a Latin word which means “rejoice.” It is called Gaudete because it is the first word of the entrance antiphon for the mass: “Gaudete in Domino Semper” which is translated as: “Rejoice in the Lord Always.” All readings today focus on joy. In the first reading, we were told by the Prophet Isaiah that joy is linked with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit and it is a power and grace which the Prophet says: “the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners, and to announce a year of favor from the Lord…” The whole experience of pain, sorrow, suffering, and sin is rectified and eradicated through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today marks the midway towards the Solemnity of Christmas and the pink candle of the Advent wreath is lit.

The Season of Advent calls us to focus on Christ where the entire reality of the Spirit was at work. When one remembers, abides, and lives with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, then that person is already living out the expectations of the Season of Advent. Life does not consist only of things that are tangible, we have to recognize a greater experience of grace from the Lord. It was John the Baptist who said: “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This directly implies that true and fullness of joy are to be found only in Christ more than any form of earthly joy. Mother Teresa said that there is a joy that “catches souls.” It is not that joy which draws one person to another because a joyful person draws friends. There is a joy that saves.

St. Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians which is the Second Reading today provides us the practical way to receive the gift of joy. He mentions 7 advices for one to be joyful. Let us be mindful that the number 7 is significant in the bible and in the liturgy. It means completeness, fullness, wholeness, and totality of God’s grace. We speak of 7 Sacraments, 7 last words of Christ, 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit, 7 Churches in the Book of Revelation, etc.

First, pray without ceasing. We remember that prayer is life of the soul and it is the joy of one’s heart. Padre Pio said that “prayer is the oxygen of the soul.” A person who prays is indeed receiving joy from the Lord which the world cannot give.

Second, in all circumstances give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Gratitude is one of the sources of human joy because a person who is grateful is altruistic and generous. We are drawn toward the highest form of prayer which is the Holy Eucharist and it is at the heart of our life. The Lord desires that we unceasingly give thanks as He purposedly instituted the Holy Eucharist. Besides, St. Paul said that it is the will of God in Christ Jesus.

Third, do not quench the Spirit. St. Paul clarifies that we should live according to the promptings of the Spirit rather than be independent from the Spirit. To follow the Spirit wherever it blows makes our minds and hearts joyful for it is God who works in our lives and not only us.

Fourth, do not despise prophetic utterances. A true Christian will always listen to Christ. Thus, a joyful person will always find joy from the Word of God because it is in the Word that he encounters Christ. Pope Francis said: “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness.” (EG 1)

Fifth, test everything. This is to live a life of prudence. A prudent person is joyful because there is always room for him to listen and follow his conscience. The Book of Proverbs says: “The prudent person sees danger and takes cover.” Thus, a joyful person knows what is good and what is evil because he listens to that inner voice and that inner sanctuary which we call conscience where God meets him. He then tests every spirit and tests every form of challenge.

Sixth, retain what is good. A joyful person chooses and promotes what is good. He will never take risks of jeopardizing his soul by choosing things and actions that are abominable to God. He knows that choosing the good will bring joy while choosing evil will ruin his life.

Seventh, refrain from any kind of evil. This focuses on the capacity and the desire to avoid evil. To strive to avoid sin is what pleases the Lord. All of us are sinners before God but more of the blessings we receive is when we strive rather than be desperate, to rise every time we fall, and to begin anew and leave our old selves.

Today is the last Sunday of Advent and we are now closer to the Mystery of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, the Gospel we have for today’s reflection is from the account of the Annunciation. We might be surprise about the reason why the liturgy brings us back to the event of the angel announcing to Mary the Good News. This allows us to see the whole stretch of God’s plan as a mystery of His saving love to humankind. To celebrate Christmas is to be imbued with God’s life and to understand a life of mystery. The word mystery comes from the Greek word “mysterion” which means “hidden” thus, the mystery of the Annunciation reveals some hidden reality in it. We may see 7 hidden things:

First, the mystery of Mary’s name. Upon the greeting of the Angel, we find the first hidden mystery. Luke, the Evangelist introduces to us the name of the virgin who is “Mary.” However, we were told that when he greeted Mary, her name was omitted and was changed to “full of grace.” God changed Mary’s name to describe a new mission of Mary. A change of name indicated a new mission: Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, Cephas to Peter. When God changes one’s name, it would be a new participation in His mystery and a new mission.

Second, Mary becomes the Mother of God. Being proclaimed as “full of grace” is a necessary requirement to be the Mother of God. This new mission is of supernatural origin and purpose thus, Mary will conceive and bear a Son and He will be “holy” and the “Son of the Most High.”

Third, the inseparability of the Father from the Son. The Son to be born on Christmas is the image of the Father whom we do not see. He is the “God from God,” “light from light”, “true God from true God” “begotten, not made and “consubstantial” with the Father. Therefore, the mystery behind the mystery of the Incarnation is the revelation of the Father. Jesus’ mission is to reveal the Father as He is called the “Son.”

Fourth, the Trinity. Just as there is the inseparability between the Father and the Son, there is also the revelation of the power and nature of the Holy Spirit in the Mystery of the Annunciation. The hidden mystery of the Trinity is subtly revealed in the story about the angel announcing to Mary the Good News. The Child to be born will be made possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fifth, the earthly parents of Jesus. As Jesus takes human flesh in all its aspects except sin, He needed the instruments of His existence and growth. The names of Joseph and Mary were included in the mystery of the Annunciation to reveal the hidden earthly parents of Jesus. This illustrates that Jesus is truly human and truly God.

Sixth, Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant. In her womb was the Word made flesh. Moses obeyed God to make the Ark of the Covenant which contained the tablets of the Decalogue. 400 years later, King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem which he established for the dwelling place of the Ark. With chosen men and the best of his soldiers, King David danced and sang as they made their way to Jerusalem. The ark of God was 3 feet 9 inches (1.15 meters) long, 2 feet 3 inches (.68 of a meter) wide and 2 feet 3 inches (.68 of a meter) high. Mary, likewise visited her cousin Elizabeth and made her travel from the north to the south bringing with her the infant in her womb which was the Word made flesh. She is called the New Ark of the Covenant.

Seventh, the human family as blessed on Christmas. As Jesus took the human flesh, he entered into time and space through a human family, He also blessed the family as the basic human institution. It is where human salvation begins and human beings journey in faith through the family. The family is the first school of the faith and the locus of communion. Christmas is a wonderful moment to reflect on the value and importance of the family in our salvation.