UNDERSTANDING THE LESSONS OF THE LORD
I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. - Isaiah 48:17
I cannot imagine what it is like being a teacher or a student during COVID. As someone who has been both in front of a classroom and behind a desk, the reality of virtual learning seems to be an impossible task to bear. Yet, people adapt to circumstances. We must, in order to survive, and feel some type of normalcy.
Adapting to a different context means paying attention to what is important. It requires energy and concentration to figure out what is truly important, and it also means that we must be open, flexible, and humble to letting go of expectations.
Jesus’ challenging criticism of the pharisees points to this very idea. He compares them to children who simply dismiss God’s plan of forgiveness, hope, and love because it does not fit their understanding of faith. John the Baptist preached repentance, but the pharisees thought he was too negative and crazy. Jesus dines with tax collectors and sinners preaching the good news of salvation, but the pharisees again dismiss his work as reprehensible. Their message was the same: the Kingdom of God is imminent. Prepare the way. Repent. Turn to God.
Both men preached the same message of salvation, yet each one taught it differently. Therefore, we can glean a couple of things from this lesson. First, God constantly reaches out to us attempting to get our attention, so that we in turn may “have the light of life,” as Psalm 1 tells us. Second, the goodness, truth, and light of the Gospel can be preached in a variety of different ways, and that is a good thing. Whether we are attracted to Ignatian Spirituality, the Liturgy of the Hours, or the charismatic movement, God’s message encourages us to let go of any expectations and to place ourselves in his grace, so that we may flourish with the knowledge that we are in a loving relationship with Him. What is the lesson God is teaching us during these days of Advent? Are we free and open to listen to what he is trying to tell us in prayer?
Take some time to breathe in God’s spirit that takes away all anxiety or sense of worry. Let us ask for the grace of humility, so that we may allow him to form our minds and hearts.
Alex Llanera, SJ
Painting: The Holy Children with a Shell by Bartolome Murillo