El cuarto domingo de Ordinarias Tiempo B: El poder y la autoridad que nos libera

En un mundo que hay muchas personas que quieren demostrar sus poderes y autoridades (físico, intelectual, científico/tecnológico, militaría, político y económico), Dios nos presenta Jesús, el Cristo como la personificación de su poder y autoridad.  El evangelista Marcos empieza su Evangelio  relatando el bautismo de Jesús y el poder que el recibió (Marcos 1, 9 – 11). Por esto, el evangelista trata de destacar el poder de Jesús y su autoridad, y la fuente de ambos, que es Dios mismo. Cuando Dios dice que pondrá su Palabra en boca de alguien, significa que lo habilitará a esta persona para ser instrumento de su gloria. Cuando hablemos con el poder y la autoridad de Dios, nuestra palabra  nunca estará vacía sino que llevará consigo el poder del efecto creador, transformador, liberador y restaurador de Dios.

El evangelio de hoy nos recuerda que "En aquel tiempo un hombre en la sinagoga que estaba poseído por un espíritu impuro gritó, " ¿Qué tienes con nosotros, Jesús de Nazaret? ¿Has venido a destruirnos? Sé quién eres, el Santo de Dios!" pero Jesús le reprendió, diciendo: ¡"Calla, y sal de él!" El espíritu impuro sacudió violentamente al hombre y salió de él con un chillido. Todos se asombraron, de tal manera que se preguntaban unos a otros: " ¿Qué es esto? Una nueva enseñanza y con autoridad. Incluso da órdenes a los espíritus impuros y le obedecen." Noticias sobre su fama se extendió rápidamente por toda la región de Galilea" - (Mark 1:23 - 28). Lo que esto significa en nuestro contexto es lo siguiente (a) Él enseña desde el corazón y no sólo de la cabeza; (b) la enseñanza está llena del  Espíritu y es poderosa, y transformadora; (c) no está centrada en la letra vacía de la ley sino que irradia  amor profundo; y (d) la enseñanza inspira cambios positivos en los oyentes. El poder de Jesucristo es el amor. Es el poder más grande que nunca ha sido, que es y que nunca dejará de ser. La falta de ella puede convertir un ángel de la luz en el mayor demonio y el mal que existe. Ahora podemos entender lo que demonio que desafió el poder de Jesús; es lo opuesto del amor que se encuentra en medio de gente ignorante incluso en la iglesia y entre oficiales del gobierno; se encuentra aún en las comunidades religiosas, en las familias y en todos lugares que se unen los seres humanos. Lo que me lleva a un bien advertencia de C. S. Lewis: "Hay dos errores iguales y opuestas en las que nuestra raza puede caer sobre los demonios. Uno es que no creen en su existencia. La otra es que crean, y que sienten un interés excesivo y malsano en ellos. Ellos mismos son igualmente satisfechos tanto por los dos errores… ".

El poder ha sido mal interpretado como abrumadora energía para conquistar al otro. Esto hace poder buscar manera para obligar a la gente en conformidad con el que ellos no van aceptan voluntariamente; y esto ha dejado al mundo entero en el caos y el terror. La legitimidad o autoridad subrayando tales poderes son igualmente mal. Esto equivale a la violación y el abuso de poder; y el abuso de poder es igual al abuso de amor. Este es el nivel en que están los Fariseos y los escribas. Tal comprensión del poder y de la autoridad todavía se puede encontrar en nuestras culturas, en el liderazgo de la Iglesia, en las familias, en las instituciones sociales e incluso organismos mundiales. Pues las personas se oponen obstinadamente al poder que los explota, el poder que manipula a otros y el poder que intimida a las personas y los empuja a la conformidad. Pero hay personas que son buenos ejemplos de cómo el poder podría ser creador y transformador: tales como Gandhi de la India, Martín Luther King Jr de Estados Unidos, el Arzobispo Oscar Romero, Nelson Mándela y la Madre Teresa de Calcuta y hay muchos otros también. Ellos nunca utilizaron la violencia, sin embargo lograron lo que Hitler, Saddam Hussein, el Emperador Nerón, Idi Amin de Uganda y otros como ellos no pudieron lograr. Con la fuerza del amor enraizado en Dios, podemos lograr lo que las armas biológicas, químicas y atómicas no pueden alcanzar, y podemos cambiar lo que poder militar, la imposición de sanciones económicas, diplomacia y clasismo no podrían lograr.

El poder en la Palabra de Dios (Jesucristo) es que crea y hace que huesos secos  vivan otra vez (Ezequiel. 37); hace que un sordo oiga, el mudo hable, que  los cojos anden, los pecadores sean transformados y los pecados  perdonados. El poder en la Palabra de Dios hace que las personas muertas vuelvan a vivir otra vez. Jesús tiene  poder sobre demonios y elementos naturales como el viento y la tormenta. El poder en Jesús (La Palabra de Vida) nos puede curar de cualquier tipo de enfermedad; derrumbar las paredes de Jericó en nuestras vidas; nos podría liberar del espíritu de alcohol, las drogas y las pesadillas; nos podría liberar de obsesiones y manipulaciones espirituales nos da valor, convierte en bien  lo que hacemos mal, cambia nuestras desilusiones en aciertos, nuestras maldiciones en bendiciones y cambia nuestros errores en mojones de éxito. Los hambrientos experimentaron este poder cuando los alimentó con cinco panes y dos peces; la mujer con hemorragia tuvo su curación por el mismo poder; personas muertas fueron llamadas de vuelta a la vida; el poder ponía los  demonios a temblar, y la muerte fue derrotado por este poder. ¿Cuál es la fuente de este poder? Es Dios, y Dios es amor (1Jn 4:8, 16); por lo que la fuente de este poder es amor. Amor es la fuerza más grande que nunca era, y que es, y que será. El abuso de poder es igual que el abuso de amor.

Un pastor necesita este poder de amor con el fin de llegar a las personas más descuidado en su cuidado. Las mujeres necesitan el poder de transformar las vidas de sus hombres infieles e irresponsables en sus vidas y viceversa. Los líderes de las naciones necesitan este entendimiento del poder y autoridad con el fin de ofrecer un buen liderazgo. Las personas en posición privilegiada en la sociedad es necesario para entender el poder como Cristo Jesús con el fin de poder ver la sociedad humana como un solo sistema compuesto por muchos de diferentes partes y cada parte es tan importante como los otros. ¿Si la Palabra de Dios tiene tal poder debemos preguntarnos "qué clase de efecto tiene este poder en nosotros?” 

Pablo en la segunda lectura habla de algunos de los obstáculos que no permiten que nosotros podamos abrirnos al poder transformador y liberador de la Palabra de Dios. Los obstáculos,  que él mencionó como fijación que nos dirigen muy lejos de la Palabra de Dios son la terquedad en pecar, ansiedad y miedo, y hipocresía?

Entonces tenemos el poder de transformar el mundo con el arma más potente de la transformación –AMOR. Puesto que hay poder en la Palabra de Dios, nosotros debemos permitir que este poder nos cambie. Es sólo cuando estamos transformados y liberados que nos convertimos en agentes de transformación, liberación y cambio positivo para nuestras familias y nuestro mundo. 

4th Sunday on Ordinary Time B: The Power and Authority that liberates us (Deut 18, 15 – 20; Ps 95, 1 – 2, 6 – 7; 1Cor 7, 32 – 35; Mk 1, 21 – 28)

In a world where a lot of people and nations want their power and authority (physical, intellectual, scientific/technical, military, political and economic) to be felt, God presents Jesus, the Christ as the epitome of insurmountable power and authority. The evangelist Mark began his Gospel by giving account of Jesus’ baptism and empowerment (Mk 1, 9 – 11). By this, the evangelist tries to point at Jesus’ power and authority, and the source, which is God himself. When God says that He will put his Word on someone’s mouth, it means that he will empower this person to be an instrument of his glory. When one speaks with the power and authority of God, his/her word is never empty but goes with creative, transforming, liberating and restoring effects.

The Gospel of today recalls that, ‘Just then a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching - and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee’ –(Mark 1:23-28). What this means in our context are the following (a) to teach from the heart and not just from the head; (b) the teaching is spirit-filled, powerful, and transformative (c) It is not focused on empty letters of the law but radiates profound love; and (d) the teaching inspires positive changes in the hearers. The power of Jesus Christ is Love. It is the greatest power that has ever been, that is and that will never cease to be. The lack of it could turn an angel of light into the greatest demon and evil that exists. Now we can understand what demon that challenged the power of Jesus; it is the opposite of love that sits in the midst of ignorant folks even in the church and among government official; it is found even in religious communities, in families and everywhere human beings gather. Which brings me to a fine warning by C.S. Lewis: ‘There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors…’

Power has been misconstrued as overwhelming energy to conquer the other. This makes power to seek to force people into conformity to what they would not voluntarily accept; and this has left the entire world in chaos and terror. The legitimacy or authority underlining such powers are equally evil. This amounts to rape and abuse of power; and the abuse of power is equal to the abuse of love. This is the level where the Pharisees and Scribes are. Such understanding of power and authority can still be found in our cultures, in Church leadership, in families, in social institutions and even world bodies. But people rightly oppose the power that exploits them, the power that manipulates others and the power that bullies people into conformity. But there are people who are good examples of what power should be: the Gandhi of India, the United States Martin Luther King Junior, Archbishop Oscar Romero, Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa of Calcutta; there are many others too. They never used violence yet they achieved what Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Emperor Nero, Idi Amin of Uganda and others like them could not achieve. With the power of love rooted in God, we can achieve what biological, chemical and atomic weapon cannot achieve; and we can change what military power, economic sanctions, diplomacy and classism could not achieve.

The power in the Word of God (Jesus Christ) is that which creates, it makes dry bones to live again (Ezk. 37); makes a deaf to hear, the dumb {mute} to speak, the lame to walk, the sinners are transformed by their words and actions, and sins are forgiven. The power in the Word of God makes a dead person to rise again. Jesus has power over demons and natural elements like wind and storm. The power in Jesus (The Word of Life) could heal us of any kind of sickness; it pulls down the walls of Jericho in our lives; it could deliver us from the spirit of alcohol, drugs, nightmares, spiritual obsessions and manipulation. It gives us courage, makes right, our wrongs, turns our disappointments into appointments, our curses into blessings and changes our mistakes into milestones of success. The hungry felt this power when he fed them with five loaves of bread and two fish; the woman with hemorrhage had her cure by the same power; dead people were called back to life; the power sends demons trembling and death was defeated by this power. What is the source of this power? It is God, and God is love (1Jn 4: 8, 16); so the source of this power is love. Love is the greatest power that ever was, and that is, and that will ever be. The abuse of power is equal to the abuse of love.

A pastor needs this power of love in order to reach even the most neglected people under his care. Women need this power to transform the lives of their unfaithful and irresponsible men in their lives and vice versa. Leaders of nations need this understanding of power and authority in order to deliver good leadership. People in privileged position in the society need to understand power like Jesus Christ in order to order to see the human society as one single system made up of many of different parts, and each part is as important as the other. If the Word of God has such power we should ask ourselves “what kind of effect does this power have on us?”

Paul in the second reading talks about some of the impediments that do not enable us to open up to the transforming and liberating power of God’s Word. Such impediments, he named as attachment that lead us far away from God’s Word; stubbornness to sin, anxiety and fear, and double standard.

We are empowered to transform the world with the strongest weapon of transformation – LOVE. Since there is power in the Word of God, we should allow this power to change us. It is only when we are transformed and liberated can we become agents of transformation, liberation and positive change to our families and our world.

The Feast of Epiphany: God's Divine Revelation

Mark Twain used to tell a joke that he put a dog and a cat in a cage together as an experiment, to see if they could get along. They did. So he put in a bird, pig and goat. They, too, got along fine after a few adjustments. Then he put in a Baptist, a Presbyterian, and a Catholic, and hell broke loose. Mark Twain did not even bother putting together a Christian, a Muslim, and a Hindu. That was unthinkable in his days. In today’s world, however, it has become obvious that Christians live in the same cage, in the same city, in the same world, with people of other religions.

Today, the feast of Epiphany, we remember the Magi who came from faraway lands to worship the baby Jesus. They came guided by a star. Being nature worshippers who had no scriptures, God revealed Himself to them through the means available to them in their own religion. Through the stars they were able to learn of the birth of Jesus and find their way to him. They came as pagans, they worshipped Jesus as pagans, and they went back home as pagans. They did not convert either to Judaism or to Christianity. Their worship was acceptable to God and God directed them in their journey home through a dream. This shows that God does have a relationship with people of other religions who are neither Jews nor Christians.

There is only one God, and all who seek God with a sincere heart are led to Him, though they call Him by different names. One thing Christians have in common with members of other religions is that we all worship the same God. We all are children of the same Father. This truth is hard for religious people to appreciate because religious people all over the world tend to claim that they have exclusive access to God and the truth.

In the Old Testament, the Jewish people believed that they were the exclusive people of God. They divided the whole world into two: Jews who were the people of God, and Gentiles who were not. Some of their prophets and wise men tried to correct this belief by reminding them of the universal love of God for all humankind. But it was not until Jesus came that this idea began to sink in. As the letter to the Ephesians states, Christ made both groups, Jews and Gentiles, into one people and broke down the dividing wall of hostility separating them (Ephesians 2:14). This is the message of the gospel that God commissioned Paul to preach: “that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).

Today’s second reading describes this truth as a mystery: “the mystery was made known to me by revelation” (3:3). It is a mystery for two reasons: (a) human reason alone could not arrive at such knowledge without the light of divine revelation, (b) even after the truth has been revealed it still proves to be an enigma or paradox to human reasoning. It is an enigma of the Christian faith that we believe, on the one hand, that the Jews are God’s chosen people and, on the other hand, that “God has no favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-35).

In the past, Christians tended to make the same mistake as the Jews of old by claiming that there is no salvation outside the church. Then Vatican II came along, the church opened the windows to the Spirit of God, and came to recognize that God’s truth is available to people of other religions, although not to the same degree that it is available in the church. The difference between the Christian faith and other faiths, therefore, is not that we possess the truth of God and they do not, but that, thanks to God’s unique revelation in Christ, we can know see God’s truth more clearly, love God more dearly, and follow God’s ways more closely in our daily lives. But we should always remember that if we go to sleep, even though we are on the better way, others who are on the not-so-better way could arrive at the goal before us. Let us reflect on this mystery today as we celebrate the Magi coming from pagan lands to worship the new-born Jesus while God’s “chosen people” in Jerusalem sleep unaware that the kingdom of God has come.

Fourth Sunday of Advent: the mystery of his birth

The story is told of William Phelps who taught English literature at Yale back in the early 1900s. Once, as he was marking an examination paper just before Christmas, Phelps found a near-blank answer sheet on which a student had scribbled, "Only God knows the answer to this question. Merry Christmas." Phelps returned the paper with this note: "God gets an A. You get an F. Happy New Year." On this last Sunday before Christmas, the Church, using the closing words of Paul to the Romans, in the 2^nd reading, invites us to celebrate the great mystery known only to God for ages, which has now been revealed to believers in Christ.

Among the letters that Paul wrote to churches in the New Testament, that to the Romans stands out as the only one written to a church that Paul had never visited. This shows how important the church in Rome was in the thinking of the early Christians. Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire, the centre of the known world of the time. The early Christians understood the arrival of the gospel in Rome as the arrival of the gospel to the whole world. For them the centre and the end of the earth was Rome. So, Paul could, in Romans 10:18 ask the rhetorical question, " But I ask, have they not heard?" and give the answer, "Indeed they have; for 'Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.'" At the beginning of the letter, he thanks God "because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world" (Romans 1:8).

That the free gift of salvation, promised by the prophets of old in the Hebrew Scriptures was now, in Christ, available to all humankind, Jews and alike was, for Paul, the Good News. This was the secret mystery hidden in ages past but which has now been revealed through the preaching of the gospel of Christ. Thinking of this mystery makes Paul explode in praise in the 2^nd reading, Romans 16:25-27:

Now to God who is able to strengthen you

according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mysterythat was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed,
and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles,according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faithto the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

The chosen Twelve Apostles received three years of apprenticeship under Jesus and still did not get it. It would take the number one apostle, Peter, the Rock, many more years of growing in the faith and the benefit of a special revelation from God to discover this mystery. Only then would he declare in turn, "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:34-35).

It is hard for most Christians today, who take our possible salvation in Christ for granted to appreciate the epoch-making importance of this revelation that defined where the Jewish religion ended and the Christian religion began. Yet, it is the revelation of this most important mystery of God that we celebrate at Christmas. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).

Paul tells us in this short passage that the purpose of this revelation was to bring about the obedience of faith (Romans 16:26). This enigmatic expression can be understood either as the obedience that comes from faith, or the faith that comes from obedience, or the faith that equals obedience. Either way, it means that in Christ, the relationship between faith and obedience is no longer that of either ... or but of both ... and. God wants His children to serve Him by faith and obedience, not by faith alone, and not by obedience (good works) alone.

As Christmas draws near, let us join Paul in glorifying God for the wondrous thing He has done for us by sending us his only begotten son. Let us resolve that this year's Christmas celebration will not be another Christmas-as- usual but a heartfelt celebration of divine grace.

The Third Sunday of Advent: The Christ we do not know

Advent is a time we prepare for the coming of the Lord: his coming to us sacramentally at Christmas, his coming to us individually at the end of our lives, and his coming to us collectively at the end of time. Now, suppose we are told that the Christ whom we are waiting for is already here in our midst as one of us, what difference would that make? Here is a story of the enormous difference that the awareness of the presence of Christ among us could make in our lives as individuals and as communities.
A certain monastery discovered that it was going through a crisis. Some of the monks left, no new candidates joined them, and people were no longer coming for prayer and consultation as they used to. The few monks that remained were becoming old and depressed and bitter in their relationship with one another. The abbot heard about a holy man, a hermit living alone in the woods and decided to consult him. He told the hermit how the monastery had dwindled and diminished and now looks like a skeleton of what it used to be. Only seven old monks remained. The hermit told the abbot that he has a secret for him. One of the monks now living in his monastery is actually the Messiah, but he is living in such a way that no one could recognize him.
With this revelation the abbot goes back to his monastery, summons a community meeting and recounts what the holy hermit told him. The aging monks look at each other in unbelief, trying to discern who among them could be the Christ. Could it be Brother Mark who prays all the time? But he has this holier-than-thou attitude toward others. Could it be Bother Joseph who is always ready to help? But he is always eating and drinking and cannot fast. The abbot reminded them that the Messiah has adopted some bad habits as a way of camouflaging his real identity. This only made them more confused and they could not make a headway figuring out who was the Christ among them. At the end of the meeting what each one of the monks knew for sure was that any of the monks, excepting himself, could be the Christ.
From that day, however, the monks began to treat one another with greater respect and humility, knowing that the person they are speaking to could be the very Christ. They began to show more love for one another, their common life became more brotherly and their common prayer more fervent. Slowly people began to take notice of the new spirit in the monastery and began coming back for retreats and spiritual direction. Word began to spread and, before you know it, candidates began to show up and the monastery began to grow again in number as the monks grew in zeal and holiness. All this because a man of God drew their attention to the truth that Christ was living in their midst as one of them.
In today’s gospel John the Baptist tries to announce the same powerful message to the Jews of his time who were anxiously waiting for the coming of the Messiah. John tells them: “Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal” (John 1:26-27).
The reason the Jews of Jesus’ time could not recognize him as the Messiah is that they had definite ideas on how the Messiah was going to come. The Messiah would suddenly descend from heaven in his divine power and majesty and establish his reign by destroying the enemies of Israel. No one would know where he came from, humanly speaking, because he came from God (John 7:27). So when finally Jesus came born of a woman like every other person, they could not recognize them. He was too ordinary, too unimpressive.

After 2000 years, are we now better able to recognize Christ in the persons of the ordinary men and women in our midst together with their unimpressive attitudes, habits and appearances?

Second Sunday of Advent: letting God find us (Mk 1,1-8)

A school principal called the house of one of his teachers to find out why he was not in school. He was greeted by a small child who whisper: “Hello?”

“Is your Daddy home?” asked the principal.

“Yes,” answered the whispering child.

“May I talk with him?” the man asked.

“No,” replied the small voice.

“Is your Mommy there?” he asked.

“Yes,” came the answer.

“May I talk with her?”

Again the small voice whispered, “No.”

“All right,” said the man, “Is there any one there besides you?”

“Yes,” whispered the child, “A policeman.”

“A policeman? Now, may I speak with the policeman?”

“No, he's busy,” whispered the child..

“Busy doing what?” asked the principal.

“Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the fireman,” came the child’s answer.

“The fireman? Has there been a fire in the house or something?” asked the worried man.

“No,” whispered the child.

“Then what are the police and fireman doing there?”

Still whispering, the young voice replied with a soft giggle,“They are looking for me.”

It would be pretty hard for the “rescuers” to find this child as long as the child keeps hiding from them. In today’s gospel we see John the Baptist in the desert calling out to the people of Judea to come out into the open desert and let God find them. You can liken it to the fireman calling out to the ”lost” child. The child has to leave his hiding place and come out into the open for the fireman to find him.

To go into the desert is to leave behind the normal props of life on which we tend to depend. Such life props we often find in our job, in relationships and in routine religious practices. God cannot do much with us as long as we hope and trust in these things as the first things that give meaning to our lives. When the heart is full no one can come into it, not even God. You have first to let go of what your heart is holding on to before you can embrace God. This letting go is symbolized by a journey into the barren desert.

In the Bible the desert has come to mean a place of encounter with God. It was in the desert that the people of Israel met God and learnt the ways of God. There they became God’s own people and the Lord became their God. But first they had to give up all the things that make for the good life that they were enjoying in Egypt: “the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic” (Numbers 11:5). Jesus, before beginning his public ministry, spent forty days and nights in the desert. It was a time of discovering and deepening his personal relationship with God. By calling the people into the desert John was calling them to let go of their false hopes and securities and learn to hope and trust in God alone.

John lived what he preached. By his lifestyle, his dressing and eating habits, he showed that the meaning of life is not to be found in the abundance of material possessions but in relationship with God. Simplicity of life and detachment from unnecessary cares and worries of social life frees the heart for a personal relationship with God. To go into the desert is the first step in true repentance. It means abandoning our usual hiding places and putting ourselves in a situation where God can easily reach us. It is the levelling of those hills and the filling of those valleys that make it difficult for God to reach us and save us.

In the season of advent the church extends to us the call of John the Baptist to repent and confess our sins in preparation for the One who is to come. It is an opportunity to rediscover our total dependence on God. God has made us for Himself, as St Augustine discovered, and our hearts are restless till they rest in God. When we realize this and make room for God in our lives, then we are on the way to true repentance after the example of John the Baptist.

First Sunday of Advent: Keep Awake! (On the Gospel: Mark 13:31-37)

Here is a quiz for you. You are sleeping. You are dreaming. A big lion is chasing you. You try to run away and you see a tiger coming in front of you. You turn sideways, but every side you turn to, you find a ferocious animal coming after you. How can you escape? The answer is: Wake up.

By waking up one enters a whole new world of reality, different from that of the dream world. What was a huge problem in the dream state becomes a non-issue in the waking state. Dream state concerns and priorities lose their importance and new concerns and priorities take their place. For example, you discover that your problem is no longer how to escape from wild beasts but how to beat the morning rush and arrive early for work. We can relate to the change that occurs between a dream consciousness and a wake consciousness. A similar and even more significant change occurs when we move from a state of being spiritually asleep to that of being spiritually awake, when the soul is awake and alert to spiritual reality.

In today’s gospel Jesus admonishes and encourages his followers to remain alert in the spirit. He was about to leave them for an uncertain length of time. By their faith and commitment to Jesus, his followers are like people who have roused themselves from spiritual slumber. But the time of his absence would be a time of trial for their faith life when they would be tempted to doze off. He enjoins them to remain awake and watchful so that whenever he comes to them he would find them not sleeping but watching in faith, ready to welcome him.

Today we enter the season of Advent: a time of special preparation for the coming of the Lord. Mark’s portrait of the doorman watching out to open for the Lord whenever he “suddenly” appears is an image of what we are expected to be doing all year long but especially during the season of Advent. The doorman keeps awake in order to recognize and welcome the Lord at his coming. Faith, likewise, transforms us into people who are able to recognize the Lord and willing to receive him. Recognition is crucial because the Lord does not always come in easily recognizable ways. At Bethlehem he came in the form of a baby and people did not recognize him. In the Parable of the Last Judgment, which we heard last Sunday, he said he came to people in the form of the most needy and disadvantaged of this world and many did not recognize him. But true people of faith did recognize him and serve him in these people who live in the blind-spot of society. Faith is first a way of seeing, and then a way of living.

The “wicked” who were consigned to hell in the Last Judgment were probably waiting for the final coming of the Lord and failed to recognize him in his day-to-day coming. The shocker in that parable is that Christ comes into our lives in the form of the ordinary people and events of our everyday lives. We need to be awake in faith to recognize and serve Christ in these commonplace and routine encounters since it will do us no good to recognize him on the Last Day if we have not recognized and served him day by day.

Before we conclude, let us say a word about Jesus’ saying “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32). This saying can be understood literally to mean that Jesus did not know the date of the end of the world. It can also be understood as a strategy meant to discourage the disciples from further inquiry into the matter. In either case the implication for us is the same: Put an end to idle speculations regarding the date of the Last Day. Open your eyes in faith to see God present and active in your life and in your world. Open your heart and your house to the Lord who comes to you daily in the form of the needy man or woman. This is the best way to prepare to welcome the Lord when he comes on the Last Day.