O Come O Come Emmanuel

Fourth Sunday of Advent Year A

What unites the first reading and the gospel is the prophecy first delivered to King Ahaz in the waning days of his rule and which the evangelist quotes in the gospel to show how the message delivered to St Joseph about the virginal conception of his betrothed, the Virgin Mary, is a fulfilment of that very same prophecy.

If you suffer from being overly pedantic like me, and if you have read both passages instead of just listening to it, you would realise that the spelling of the Hebrew title translated into English as “God with us,” is spelt differently in both the first reading taken from the Old Testament and the gospel passage which quotes the same. Both Immanuel and Emmanuel are correct spellings, as they are different transliterations of the same Hebrew word meaning "God with us". Immanuel is the direct transliteration from Hebrew, while Emmanuel is the transliteration of the Greek version of the name. The difference in spelling arises because the New Testament was originally written in Greek, which uses the spelling with an "E".

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s go to the substance of what the readings speak about. The context of the first reading is that Ahaz is feeling conflicted when contemplating his political future and the fate of his nation. Should he trust in a human solution to save his country from destruction threatened by a superpower by entering into a treaty with another superpower or should he just place his trust in God? Of course, the prophet Isaiah tells him to trust God and should he have any doubts, Ahaz could simply ask for a sign from God, which he refused initially out of false humility. But when Ahaz refused the sign, Isaiah told him that God insisted on giving him a sign that would be: “the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’ Some have postulated that this prophecy is referring to Ahaz’s own son, Hezekiah, who proved to be a fairly good albeit imperfect king. But the deliberate ambivalence of the prophecy soon evolved into an expectation of a distant messianic royal heir that would prove to be Israel’s saviour.

While doubtless there was some contemporary fulfilment for Ahaz, the destruction of Jerusalem would be temporarily postponed, the actual fulfilment or “full-filment” would only come in Christ. Pope Benedict XVI calls this prophecy a “word in waiting.” The evangelist, in fact, appeals to this text in Isaiah to show that the birth of our Lord is what Israel had been waiting for through the centuries. In fact, this promise frames the entire gospel of St Matthew.

Some have asked why Jesus wasn’t named Emmanuel as clear proof of the fulfilment of the Isaian prophecy. An obvious reply is that Emmanuel is a title rather than a personal name just like “Christ,” which means the Anointed One or the Messiah. But, Emmanuel is not so much a name or a time as it is a message, “God is with us!” At the beginning of the gospel, Isaiah’s prophecy is invoked here in the infancy narratives and the same gospel closest with the great commission where our Lord promises: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” What a joy, what a consolation to know that God is with us now and for all eternity, and that Christ has never left us.

Many a Christmas sermon will dwell on the meaning of Emmanuel, God-with-us, but if we are honest, most of us have known times when God, if there is a god, seems distant, unapproachable, not interested in us or our doings. If we are honest to admit it, many of us would have asked, ‘Where was God during this crisis or that?’ ‘Where was God when I lost my job and am now threatened with losing my home?’ ‘Where was God when my mom or dad died, or when I found out I had a terminal illness?’ St Joseph in today’s passage would have also wondered how he could end up marrying a woman, his betrothed, who was with child not sired by him. Had God abandoned him? These are legitimate questions, and the standard answer, that God was with us as we suffered, rarely convinces. We need a God not afar off but close at hand, and for many, God is not close at hand.

Perhaps instead of trying to answer the question ‘where was God?’ we have to explore the question ‘where is God?’ At first sight, that may seem like a mere play of tenses; but if we stop and think about it, it is anything but semantics. To ask where was God is to ask a question of history, to go back in time; to ask where *is* God is to pray and enter into a relationship with Him here and now. The first question is naturally narcissistic, seems to focus solely on me as the centre of the universe - me me me me! The second question shifts the focus away from ourselves to God. God has not withdrawn Himself from us or hidden Himself in some inexplicable way. He is tangibly though mysteriously present to all who trust and have faith in Him. And that surely, is what the Incarnation has brought about in a most wonderful way.

During his moment of doubt when he was contemplating divorcing his betrothed, the Angel visited Joseph and gave him this assurance. To paraphrase the angelic message: “Do not be afraid! God is with you! Not just literally but in reality! God is with you in that child. So, don’t just think of yourself and the shame which this may befall you but think of the glory of Israel and the salvation of the world which this child will bring. It is indeed a privilege for you to be part of this!”

Likewise, we cannot fear God or think Him unapproachable when we know that in Christ, He has taken human flesh and blood and been born, just as we are, just as dependent as we are. He cannot undo that — He has bound Himself to us for ever and is with us to the end of time. Whatever happens, however low we fall, however much distress or failure we experience, we know Him to be true to His name - Emmanuel. He is with us. God is with us …. Always! And this week, we will celebrate His birth in time. O Come O Come Emmanuel!

Be Patient because the Lord is coming soon

Third Sunday of Advent Year A

Though many would agree that patience is a virtue, it is often in short supply. We have an expression in Cantonese that best illustrates this lack of patience - “kanchiong” (pardon the self attempt at transliteration). Why is it so difficult for us to be patient, to wait?

Humans, or at least modern humans, are wired for instant self-gratification, to seek pleasure now, and modern life is filled with examples of quick satisfaction, from one-click shopping to instant messaging, to looking for the shortest Masses in town (best below 45 minutes). Impatience, which was once widely viewed as something negative is not seen in a more positive light, a sign of being busy or important, while waiting can be perceived as being lackadaisical. Being enslaved to digital technology does not help. The internet and streaming services provide on-demand content and information, reinforcing the expectation that things should be accessible immediately. Finally, experiencing uncertainty can make people want to control the present moment to make it as pleasant as possible, leading to irritation when there are delays.

Waiting for change and results can be frustrating when we are consumed by this impatient mindset. But the central message of our readings today is clear - transformation and change is certain, our Lord is coming without a doubt, our goal is within reach even if we still cannot see it. St James tells his readers in the second reading: “Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon.”

In the first reading, Isaiah speaks of how an arid desert suddenly blooms into lush green farmland. Though, we wet landers can never imagine this happening, this does occur in certain years when there is ample rainfall. But sometimes, you need to wait for months and even years before you see any substantial rain in these dry lands. The Prophet Isaiah’s description of the transformation of nature is, of course, not meant to be literal. The same could be said when he speaks of what seems to be medically impossible: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy…”

These images provide the background for John the Baptist’s question to our Lord in the gospel. “Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?” Or rather, “Is the desert blooming, or not, or do we have to wait for another year?” It is consoling that the great Baptist himself was impatiently waiting for the One he was preparing the people to receive. And the Lord comes back with a definitive yes: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. The miracles which our Lord performed were intended to confirm that He is the “One who is to come.” He is the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy that the rains have come in the desert. Those who were thirsty are now experiencing the life that comes from the living waters of God.

What does all of this have to do with Advent? The virtue of Advent is patience. Most people have little patience for Christmas to happen. They are already putting up Christmas decorations, throwing parties and singing carols at the beginning of December, if not even earlier in November. Now, I don’t wish to sound like the Grinch who attempts to steal the Christmas joy from everyone. God knows how much we need joy in our lives these days! Joy, like patience, is in short supply too. But it is critical to recall once again that Advent isn’t first about Christmas (at least not until the 17th of December); it’s first about the Second Coming of the Lord. It is good to heed the words of St James in the second epistle as he brings to mind the image of a farmer waiting for his yield. The fruits of the earth take time. They cannot be rushed. The law of growth is rest. The soil must not be disturbed. Above all we must not disturb it ourselves by our own egoism. We must not turn it over and dig it up by anxieties and scruples. Anyone who grows things can understand the analogy. When you think about it like this, waiting for seeds to sprout—or for fruit to ripen—is very much like the waiting and the enduring patience which is required of Advent.

The patience of Advent is meant to train us far beyond the patience of waiting to open presents until Christmas, although we all know that such patience can feel like quite the trial when you’re at a certain age! We are waiting for the fulfillment of all things in Christ. We are waiting for the end of the world. We are waiting for the end of our own lives. We are waiting for judgment. We are waiting for God to act and no one is in control of God. We are waiting for a solution to the problem that hangs over our heads like the Sword of Damocles. But let us not forget - He sets the pace. He establishes the time and seasons. He determines the path and the final outcome. All we must do, is patiently and humbly wait upon Him.

But, this doesn’t mean that we have nothing to do. Growing in patience is hard work, you don’t just take it lying down. I’m often amused when people tell me that they need more patience because they find it unendurable to put up with vexing individuals in their lives. I will tell them: “God is indeed answering your prayers. How do you even think of growing in patience if you do not have these individuals in your life?” As hard edges sharpen knives, uncomfortable situations and persons can make a person stronger and more patient.

There are so many ways in which we can begin to cultivate and grow in patience this Advent season. We can grow in patience when we have no visible results for our prayers, sacrifices, and efforts. We can practice patience when we experience our many personal failures and see the failures of others. We can mature in patience when we feel helpless in the face of all the evil and injustice spreading in our world. We can practice patience as we see our Church riddled with scandals and threats of heresies. Our patience is strengthened when we endure many trials and temptations and overcome personal struggles. We grow in patience as we love the ones who irritate and annoy us. So don’t worry. Our patient God will provide us many moments to grow in this virtue of patience as well as the graces of being patient like Him. So, “be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon.”

The Price for Lasting Peace

Second Sunday of Advent Year A

Recently, New Yorkers elected a man as their new mayor, which many hail as their Saviour whilst others accuse as being a communist. Some see him as a future hope for the city while others view him as one of the four apocalyptic horsemen that would bring about its destruction. What endeared him to most of his supporters was his primary campaign promise to dish out “free stuff.” Free bus. Free housing. Free groceries. Now, who wouldn’t like “free stuff”?

Have you ever longed for a place where everything was “free”? A place where people worked together, shared together and genuinely cared for one another? A place where poverty, conflict, rivalry, violence is absent or abolished entirely? Despite best intentions and best efforts, the lesson we learn from the neo-socialists, communists, democratic governments is that mankind is unable to engineer the perfect society. Why have countless experiments failed or have been unsuccessful? The answer can be found in the very name given to these ventures. It’s the word “utopia.” Utopia, a Greek word, literally means “no place.” The reality is that there never has been a place on earth where human beings created a perfect peaceful community. And often it has been the very people who claim to create an earthly paradise that have caused the most devastating brokenness. The good news is that scripture shows us how peace and perfection will arrive on earth.

In the first reading, the Prophet Isaiah, our principal prophet for this season of Advent, shares with us a prophetic dream of a future society, a perfect paradise. All hatreds and hostilities have disappeared, those who hated and killed their victims are now sitting side by side, the lion and the leopard lie down with the lamb and the gazelle, the child plays with the poisonous snake. Nobody is doing any harm, the poor and the weak are no longer oppressed by injustice, all seems lovey-dovey. It is paradise restored. Sounds like Utopia, right? Problem is that this ‘paradise’, this ‘utopia,’ exists in no place. But will this ever take place? Well, the Prophet Isaiah provides the clue – he points to the shoot that will spring from the stock of Jesse.

The stock or the stump of Jesse actually refers to another failed project, the broken line of the dynasty of David. The dynasty of King David had been cut down like a tree by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. when the city of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah was devastated and the ruling class led into exile. The people were shocked to realise that the dynasty was not really eternal. But had not God assured David: “your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever” (2 Sam 7:16). Isaiah knew that God must always be true to His word; hence the dynasty in some way will revive. The spirit of the Lord will rest upon the stump and the roots of Jesse, and the people of God will bloom again. New life can emerge from what is perceived as a dead tree. But the solution would not be a human one. It is through God’s direct intervention that the dead tree stump would spring to life again. We need a Saviour, not just a charismatic political leader. Christ would be the answer.

The second reading also presents us with a similarly utopian vision, now of the Church. But the realities that plagued the Church during the time of St Paul’s writings were in fact dystopian. There was building tension between two group of Christians within the community. The smaller group, described as the “weak,” liked very much a traditional form of religion, prayed a lot and mortified themselves, and observed a lot of prescriptions. The other group, named the “strong,” did not pay attention to such “small” things, which they considered trivial, and held that one did not have to follow the old law; the only necessary thing was to be faithful to Christ. The two groups abused each other: the weak “passed judgment” on the strong ones, calling them unfaithful and these, in their turn “had contempt” for the weak ones, classifying them as traditionalists and without understanding. Sounds familiar?

St Paul recommends to all to be charitable, to show love and reciprocal respect. He did not need to reinvent the wheel and come up with a new blueprint for this community. Christ is THE BLUEPRINT! Our Lord, who did not seek to please Himself but placed Himself at the service of others, is the model par excellence for the qualities needed for community living. What He gives to us is “free”, salvation is a free gift because it is not something we can ever earn. But it comes at the greatest cost to Himself – He paid the cost through His own life. Harmony in the community could only be assured by the member’s commitment to Christ. St Paul challenged the “strong” as well as the “weak” to “treat each other in the same friendly way as Christ treated” them. Rather than engage in mutual criticism that would only engender hostility, they should learn “to be tolerant with each other, following the example of Christ Jesus, so that united in mind and voice (they) may give glory to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Finally, we come to the gospel and discover the key to Peace. It is to be found in the keynote message of the gospel and that of Advent - repentance. In today’s gospel, we hear the story of how St John the Baptist preached this message, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” What does the word Repentance mean? In Hebrew, the word for conversion (shubh) indicates that one has taken a wrong path, and once he has become aware of his detour, the individual returns to the right path in order to return to God. So too the Greek word, metanoia involves not just a static remorse but a dynamic and determined about-face, a positive commitment to a new way of life. Significantly, conversion is not a purely human decision or endeavour. Rather, conversion is a human response to the prior initiative of God.

Repentance means turning to Christ. Repentance means putting on Christ and becoming Christ. The word “Christian” means “of Christ” or a “little Christ.” It means putting God in the first place in our lives and making sure that everything else finds its rightful places in our lives under God. Repentance means letting go of our own will, in order to follow the things that God wills for us. It means turning away from sin and all rebellion against God, in order to be obedient to God and to follow Him in all that He wants from us. Repentance means owning up to our sin, our human frailties, our fears, our inner hurts and entrusting all these to God’s mercy and compassion. Repentance means knowing our need of God. In turning our lives around, we come to recognise that our self-sufficiency is inadequate and that we need to cooperate with God in our own salvation. Repentance therefore is not a one-time thing. It is a process that goes on for a lifetime. Little by little we orientate ourselves ever more perfectly in God’s love.

So as we continue our journey to Christmas, we need to repent of our comfortableness with sin. This is the only way our society and the Church can be transformed. Various utopian experiments that have sought to improve mankind and create a peaceable environment have failed. Lasting peace would not be found in any peace treaty or socio-political or economic reform. This is because, if God is not part of the equation, Utopia would remain a dream. But God’s effort to bring peace will not fail. It will succeed—through Jesus Christ and the establishment of God’s Kingdom. The Kingdom is both “free” and costly. Free because our Lord offers it to us freely. Costly because He has already paid the price for this gift. So, prepare the Way of the Lord!