Written by Sr. Rosemary Finnegan, O.P.
Readings from: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120120.cfm
We’ve all received those Christmas cards that picture wolves and lambs, leopards and lions sharing the same pasture, grazing and resting together. It’s a vision of a peaceful, loving, and tranquil world. Our first reading from Isaiah mentions an ox, and a Family Circus cartoon once showed a little girl looking at a picture of an ox and how it’s spelled. She remarks to her Mother: “I’d love to be an ox. Then my name would be spelled with a hug and a kiss.” I think Isaiah would like that, too.
He writes of this idyllic, peaceful world in Chapter 11 only after chiding the Israelites in the first 10 chapters. He’s warning them of God’s judgment because of their unfaithfulness to God. He prophesies that Israel will be invaded by Assyrians and carried into exile, which eventually they were.
But in Chapter 11 the people learn that even when God speaks of judgment, God also offers hope to the people. Israel isn’t just to be destroyed and forgotten. Isaiah predicts that someone is coming from the long line of King David who will restore peace. We know this person to be Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
We also know, though, that this beautiful vision of peace won’t take full shape until Jesus comes again in glory. But in the meantime, we can pray and work for God’ peace, peace that can transform us.
This is what happened recently to Deb Carter, an Associate member with my Adrian Dominican Congregation. During this last election campaign, Deb had been standing with a group of people in front of their representative’s office advocating for certain issues. People from the opposite party were also there advocating their side. There was tension between the groups and Deb thought: “We’ve got to reach out and have a conversation. The country is splitting in half and there’s been terrible divisiveness.” After some thought, she and her companions did a simple thing: they brought flowers, a universal symbol of peace, to share with both groups. As you can imagine, it disarmed the people, and as they 2 diverse groups continue to meet and advocate, Deb’s hope is to begin to engage in conversation with each other and cut through the division.
How easily we forget we are all members of the human family. There’s a quote by Jimi Hendrix that sums up well the condition of our weary world: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
All of us can take small steps to creating a peaceful world…at least in our families and local communities. How can this Advent be a time of bringing much needed peace to them? We leave here today after just saying: “Peace be with you.” How can I bring that peace to someone today? May the grace of this Advent season transform us into a peaceful people.
