2nd Sunday of Advent (Mt. 3:1-12)
Advent pulls us in two directions. We hear apocalyptic peaching from prophets like John the Baptist. He warns that a time of turmoil is on the way. We also hear messages of hope from voices like the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah speaks of a new era when fairness will be the norm. The downtrodden will be uplifted. The powerful will be brought low.
We have similar feelings as we live our spiritual lives at this time of year. We are pulled in two directions. We party hard because it is the holidays, yet we are told this is a time of penance when we are to sit with the Lord quietly. We are to pray, fast, and give alms.
Thomas Merton, the great spiritual figure of the 20th century, wrote eloquently about this Advent incongruity. He penned an essay entitled: “Advent: Hope or Delusion?” Advent was a special time for Merton. He spent his first days living at a monastery during the Advent Season. He entered the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky on December 10th, 1941. Merton lived a very hedonistic life as a young man, drinking, partying, womanizing. He went through a conversion which led him into the Catholic Church. His conversion went through several stages until he decided to be a Trappist monk. He started a life that was austere. The message was clear when he made his solemn vows. He laid face down in total submission to God. In a way, this is kind of deflating because he had to die to worldly ambition. Also, it was hopeful. Merton underwent a transition; giving up what was unimportant for what was all important.
Advent is supposed to be a season of hope. In 2025 we are celebrating a year of hope. What is hope all about? Some believe we experience hope in Advent by inoculating ourselves against anything that is painful. We lift our spirits by buying the latest gadgets. We stimulate our senses with the finest food, music and in a host of other ways. We seek to escape the pain of life. We deny unpleasant issues when we gather. We don’t talk about wars around the world. We avoid stories of political graft as well as abuses of power. We might avoid mentioning persons who are estranged from the family. Nobody wants to be the Grinch at the holiday party. But is this the hope that Christians celebrate in Advent? No, hope is about wrestling with the hard things. And it is about coming out the other end of the struggle believing. We share stories of determination right now. We call them inspiring.
Recently, Pope Leo went to Turkey to commemorate the 1700 anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. At that council the basic tenants of the Christian faith were agreed upon. We usually say the Nicene Creed at Mass. The prayer has been passed down to us century after century.
A story of hope that is a part of the history of the council would be worth remembering today. At the time of the council a great persecution had just ended. The emperor Diocletian had been deposed. He presided over the last, and most severe, Roman persecution of Christians. Believers were tortured. Limbs were cut off. Eyes were put out. Many were burned at the stake if they refused to worship Roman gods.
The Emperor Constantine became the leader in Rome shortly after Diocletian abdicated. He was sympathetic to Christianity. He even made it the religion of the empire. At the time he became emperor, there were great splits in the church as theologians argued over the true nature of Jesus Christ. Constantine called the council at Nicaea to try to heal all the splits in the church. As the council opened, Constantine processed into the council gathering. The bishops attending looked like the veterans of some war. Many had endured torture at the hands of Diocletian. Men were missing hands and legs. Some had scars from burns. Others were missing eyes. Some had ears cut off. As Constantine marched in, he stopped to kiss the wounds of each man who had been hurt. His prophetic action brought tears to the bishop’s eyes. Also, it brought healing and hope.
During Advent we need to be reminded that this is what true hope looks like. True hope looks like those bishops whose faith was tested, but who persevered. As Merton said, hope isn’t about escaping the struggle in life, but it is about enduring the struggle and persevering with the grace of God.