December 1, 2020 – Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120120.cfm)

Homily

A growing seed makes no sound but a falling tree creates huge and echoing noise. (A quote I got from Pinterest). Creation, indeed, is silent while destruction is loud.  In the same way, God growing in us is silent. God’s coming and arrival can only be realized when we too learn to listen in God’s silent coming. The noise of our anger, of our bitterness and pain, of our desperation and anxiety, may prevent us from listening to God’s silent coming. Those noises will only bring us to destruction and not to growth and peace.

The Book of Prophet Isaiah reminds us that a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. It describes to us how the Messiah will come from the linage of Jesse, who was the father of King David. The coming of Jesus as prophesied by Isaiah will be silent as a shoot sprouts and as a bud blooms.

What makes it more fruitful for us is on how such attentiveness to the silent coming of our God brings grace. The Spirit of the Lord shall also bless us with wisdom and understanding, with counsel and strength, with knowledge and fear of the Lord. As the Lord brings peace to us, so shall we also become peace.

Indeed, to become loud, to overwhelm ourselves with distractions whatever that may be, will stop us to see and recognize the Lord.  This is how Jesus criticized the attitude of those people during His time who claimed to be the “masters of the world, the wise and the learned.” They make so much noise by claiming the knowledge that they have gained in many years of experiences. Yet, such arrogance prevented them to learn new things and to be welcoming. These attitudes prevented them to receive God’s revelations and invitations.

Jesus reminds us how the Father reveals the mystery of salvation, of His gift of healing and peace to the childlike. Of course, God reveals His mystery to all but only the children and the childlike are blessed to receive God’s blessing, simply because of the qualities of being welcoming, humble and receptive. This is why Jesus said to his disciple, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see,” because God revealed Himself to the childlike.

This is today’s invitation for us on this Season of Advent. We may have achieved many things in life, we may have gained many experiences already, or we may be carrying many things in our hearts and minds like our concerns and struggles, let us not allow them to overwhelm us in this season. We let go of them so that we will also learn how to see, to listen, to observe and be more attentive of God’s silent revelations in us.

May our eyes that see and ears that listen bring us to peace. Hinaut pa.