GOD OUR STRENGTH


THURSDAY, SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

Isa 41:13-20; Ps 145:1,9-13; Mt 11:11-15

Our Greatness is in God

God made our nature for himself, and only God knows it completely. As we noted in the previous reflections, only God can truly understand how miserable we are without him; He knows the woes of our nature when separated from the goal or purpose of its existence. In view of this, God does not spare any effort or grace for our redemption and good. He came to the aid of the mortal man immediately after the fall with the promise of redemption, giving his word as a guarantee of the infallible promise. We need only believe in order to experience the power of God and his redemptive grace. If there occurs a time lapse between the promise and its fulfilment, then it is for the human faith to mature and support the realisation of the divine promises. Human nature, made in the image of God, can accomplish many things within the material universe, but all our works, compared to what we can accomplish in union with God, are nothing, for no creature can actualise man apart from God, our Creator. Thus, Saint Irenaeus states that the glory of God is man fully alive. In other words, only God can truly bring man to fullness of life, for God is our life and our truth. It is a grave mistake to seek life or fulfilment elsewhere than in God.

The Psalmist witnesses to this truth. “All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, and your friends shall repeat their blessing. They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God, to make known to men your mighty deeds and glorious splendour of your reign.” To profess faith in God and not discover the truth of God’s wonderful providence is to walk in ignorance and fear. We must acknowledge that this deeper awareness does not come easily, but rather with the deepening of prayerful attention to God. God urges Israel not to be afraid because the people lack this deep spiritual awareness of God. “I, the Lord, your God, I am holding you by the right hand; I tell you, ‘Do not be afraid, I will help you.’ Do not be afraid, Jacob, poor worm, Israel, puny mite. I will help you—it is the Lord who speaks—the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.” Like Israel, we are reluctant to trust the word of God and submit ourselves to his holy will because we do not know God. This is the yoke our Lord invites us to carry because it is easy and suitable for us. It is suitable for us because we are created to live in union with God. It is easy because God carries us when we submit to his holy will.  

God lists the wonders he will accomplish through us if we walk with him in obedience and trust. “See, I turn you into a threshing-sledge, new, with doubled teeth; you shall thresh and crush the mountains, and turn the hills into chaff.” The same trust and obedience to the word of God were John the Baptist’s strength. Our Lord praised him for this in the Gospel. “I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.” The greatness of John the Baptist is according to the Old Covenant, in which God made promises. This is nothing comparable to the New Covenant, during which God fulfils all the promises in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Hence, the least in the new dispensation is greater than John the Baptist, who is the greatest in the old dispensation. Of this mystery of God’s love for man displayed in the Incarnation of his Son, we wrote yesterday. In us, who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, human nature has attained its goal or purpose; we are made perfect in Christ’s redemptive work. What remains is our ongoing sanctification. God is making rivers gush forth on barren heights, opening fountains in valleys, turning wilderness into a lake, dry ground into a water spring. May the celebration of the coming of our Lord in flesh and blood hasten our sanctification.

Let us pray: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the paths of your Only Begotten Son, that through his coming, we may be found worthy to serve you with minds made pure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.    

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