Jesus: God's Self-Communication to the Humanity

02nd Sunday of Advent - Readings: Isaiah 11:1–10; Romans 15:4–9; Matthew 3:1–12

(St. John the Baptist Preaching, Mattia Preti, c. 1665)

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The readings of the second Sunday of Advent admonish us that repentance is an essential dimension in encountering God. Only through repentance, we will receive the grace to meet the Lord.

The whole season of Advent or Christmas could be summarised in one word, i.e, "Communication." It is God's communication with the humanity. In the words of Jesuit theologian Fr Karl Rahner (1904-1984), God becoming human is God's utter self-communication with the humanity. In German, Selbstmitteilung Gottes in Jesus Christ.

Down the centuries, God communicated with the humanity through various people. With Noah with a covenant, to the Patriarchs Abraham, Issac and Jacob through promises and later God communicated through his judges and prophets.  God communicated with the humanity through promises and covenants saying that He is with them, loves them, cares for them and wants them. Finally, God spoke to the humanity though his own person, the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. 

In this context Prophet Isaiah speaks of a new beginning which would happen with the coming of the Lord, a reconciliation between the two opposing parties, among the enemies, in other words, a total surrender in front of the Messiah, the Saviour. God's self-communication would be strong and powerful, divine and undestroyable, unthinkable and never thought of. 

God's self-communication happens in three ways: Historical, simple and direct. 

Firstly, God comes in our midst in a historical setting. Thus our history becomes His history. He comes in a particular moment of history. As a result, our life sanctified. Our life in this historical juncture has a place in God; has a meaning. 

Secondly, God's self-communication in Jesus Christ happens in a very simple way. A simple virgin from Nazareth is chosen for this task. She is Anawim, the servant of God. She accepts God's plan by promising to Angel Gabriel with the words, Fiat voluntas tua, "May Thy will be done." Even birth of Jesus happens in a very simple circumstances, on a manger. There is no preparation, no solemnity here.

Thirdly, God's self-communication happens in a direct way. It is God's initiative. God allows himself to come into the world directly. Thus Second Person of the Trinity takes charge upon himself and comes in our midst, in our form.  God's direct intervention with the humanity tells us that how much God loves us, how much God thinks about us.

In the Gospel reading of today, God's great communicator to the humanity is John the Baptist. A voice in the wilderness, he is a man of God, a fearless voice of God. Living a very austere, ascetic life, he ascends into God's mind in bringing His message of repentance, forgiveness, healing and encounter with the living God. John the Baptist's life tells us many things especially how well we can accept God's self-communication in our lives. Through the greatest prophets of all time, according to Jesus, John the Baptist as a percursor, helps us to understand that we are called to be simple, straightforward in our dealings, humble and meek in front of the Eternal Truth and always be ready to speak for God and His humanity when values of God's Kingdom are threatened or not followed. 

The humility of John, the last and greatest of the prophets of the old dispensation tells us that he is not worthy to untie even the Lord’s sandals. John's devotion to the Lord is immense and huge. John, through his humility prepares the way of the Lord. 

There might be times when God seems to be according to St Augustine Deus absocondibus, absence of God. Perhaps we have experienced or felt a hidden God, absconding God; a God, who is not bothered about us. However, that is not our God. He is there and we have missed him. We have messed up with our God. He is ready to embrace as his beloved sons and daughters. John the Baptist today, points out at that just and loving God. 

Therefore, let us look at our Saviour; let us trust in God’s mercy. This means being humble, open to God’s Word like St. John the Baptist. It means loving our neighbour, and working to create, with the help of God’s grace, the new creation of love, integrity and peace. It means valuing the marginalised, rejecting false ideologies, and seeking the Truth.

Prayer:

Merciful God,

You sent John the Baptist to preach repentance.

Forgive us for the times when we have done wrong,

when we have hurt other people

and damaged our earth.

Lead us to make a change, to live differently,

preparing a way and making your paths straight.

Amen.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

08 December 2019