What are your weapons?

The sign of Advent might be the Cyber-day Friday, where people begin the so-called holiday season searching search engines for super-bargains. But in our Church we have the traditional sign of Advent: purple which tells us we are preparing ourselves.

Our Advent reading from Isaiah, chapter 2, anticipates this Saviour, the Messiah. The reading from Isaiah places us geographically in the region of Judah, and the capital Jerusalem. The repeated references during Advent of Judah, we should ask ourselves, “What is so important about Judah,” that this tribe, this region, that is emphasised. In other words, “what’s the big deal about Judah”?

Let’s back track a little. Judah is one of the sons of Jacob, and God renames Jacob, Israel. Now, David is from the House of Judah, and he is also king, and his name is repeated throughout Advent. David was born in Bethlehem. Anointed King, David makes Jerusalem the capital of Judah, and it is his son, Solomon, who has the Temple built, the Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. God’s anointed King, Holy City, Temple, this is the significance of Judah.

And what will the Lord teach us from Mt. Zion, from Jerusalem? He will teach us what this kingdom will look like. A Kingdom of peace.

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Swords used for battle are now used to plough the land, for agriculture, for growth.
Spears for combat will serve to prune, again, the land, agriculture, for growth.

There is a transformation of weapons that bring death, into instruments that nurture life. We cannot disconnect ourselves from this passage as Isaiah is talking to us.

What are our weapons? What instrument do we use to obstruct others, so they fall, are hurt, and even worse experience a sort of death? Our anger? Our lust? Our greed? Our envy?

Think for a moment how we use language, when our vices are first channeled.

Remember kids would say that, stick and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me? What we say to others, about others, is it Truth? Or our vices? Greed, Lust, Anger, Envy… But it’s not only how we use language in way that is destructive, like a weapon, but we can also use language, like a tool, that nourishes, brings growth, and life:

• words of encouragement, kindness, that strengthen and affirm.

Of course, even more powerful than language are our actions. Advent can be this preparation of being on time: on time for Mass, set time for prayer, alone, with family or friends.

Do we desire to be with God? In a way that says, I can’t wait be to be with you – Lord! To place ourselves in silence before God? Do we spiritually nurture others with our words, our actions, our examples, and help them grow? Or does our language convey Anger, Greed, Lust, Envy?

In Isaiah we hear about spears and swords, in St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 3, we have reference to the armour of light, being dressed in “light.” Light refers to the Word: St. John’s Prologue: in Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”Light is the Truth of God’s word: we are no longer living in the darkness of sin: and St. Paul is specific: not in drunkenness, not in sexual perversion, or endless arguing, or jealousy.

So, we put on the Lord as our armour. We do this as Catholics through the Sacraments that Christ and His Church offer us: the Sacraments armour us with Grace, with God’s divine presence, two Sacraments on a regular basis: Confession and Holy Communion.
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We not only lay aside our works of darkness, we are to reject them. The words used at Baptism and, preceding our profession of Faith: Do you reject Satan? This is to lay aside our works of darkness.

We have this visible contrast between the light Jesus brings into the world, and the darkness of Satan, that lingers…
St. Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 24, reminds us that like the time of Noah, the world was suddenly hit and purified by a flood, while people were merry-making… The period before Christmas during Advent a time of spiritual preparation, there are parties – dinners – for what people call the “holiday season,” not even knowing what is being celebrated or why. There is something rather pagan, not worshipping the true God, the Son of God, source of life, source of salvation, and celebrating what? partying for what?

How does the Christian live Advent? In preparation for the Incarnation. An awareness, an interior cleansing, just we prepare ourselves for Communion, that our Messiah is coming to meet us. The problem is the indifference to God reflected in how people live their lives. When life seems so secure, so comfortable, “let’s party,” we are less likely to find reason to prepare ourselves – for Christ. What for? When life is comfortable and secure, as we find in St. Matthew’s Gospel, people run the risk of forgetting God.

When I think of the indifference to sin, even justifying sin in Catholic circles where Catholics are giving in to contemporary ideologies, rather than combatting them, from abortion to samesex marriage, capitulating on trans-gender issues, and our free and democratic society is determined to silence those who hold opposing views – that go against the dominant ideologies.

Catholics who seek to live in truth need to be spiritually armed. It’s not just how do I prepare myself as an individual, but how we do we help prepare our communities of faith seeking to following Christ, the Way the Truth and the Life. Or do we passively digest the lies the media feed us?

Our Church continues to uphold what is true. Truth cannot change. And nobody has the authority to change the Truth Christ taught. When Truth is perverted. We have lies. Our society disseminates errors rapidly through the electronic media, and one is left to wonder, who actually is teaching the people. And if we are not prepared to battle we run the risk of assimilating to our neo-pagan culture.

Pagans justify their errors and wickedness. Christians, however, recognise their need for conversion. Our Catholic Church offers us everything we need to prepare us, so we can meet the Messiah. Our Advent Readings speak to us of being spiritually armoured.

Let us journey with the Mother of God, in the contemplative silence of Advent. Armed with Truth of the Gospel.