Fourth Monday in Advent (O Rex Gentium)

O Ruler of nations, and their desire, the Cornerstone, uniting both in one: come and save humankind, whom you formed of clay.

Zeph. 3:14-20; Titus 1:1-16; Luke 1:1-25

Wow!  Talk about whiplash!  Beautiful, joyful words from Zephaniah.  The beginning of the nativity story, Gabriel’s annunciation to Zechariah.  And sandwiched in between: the empire strikes back.  The underside of our belonging is always a drawing of boundaries.  Boundaries and clarity are necessary, but they can become weapons that distract us from our core concerns.  Can we ever state our hope, our faith, without impugning others?  

Some would call that a secular relativist desire.  Those who have the (singular) truth believe they owe it to God, to themselves, to others to point out the failings of others and warn them of the wrath to come.  

How’s that working for you?

Let’s just grab onto what matters here: “Grace and peace.”  This week, grace and peace.  This year, grace and peace.  

Sing aloud!  Shout!  Rejoice and exult with all your heart!  Just let the words of promise roll over you.  Do not fear; do not let your hands grow weak.  God will rejoice, will renew, will exult; God will remove disaster and deal with oppressors.  God will heal and gather, bringing us home.  God will restore us.  Grace and peace.

But we have a part in that.  If we don’t sing and rejoice; if we spend our time instead sharpening our weapons and our arguments, God won’t insist.  If we refuse to listen out of fear or arrogance or simple desire to dominate, God will give us the chaos we ask for.  But God’s will, God’s dream, is for wholeness - shalom.  Grace and peace.

And what about those others?  God will do this for them too, if we and they do not refuse it.  

Grace and peace to you from God our Mother and our Savior Jesus Christ.