According to St. John Chrysostom, when we engage in such penances as fasting, our goal should be to “offer our entire selves to the dedication of spiritual things, having distanced ourselves from secular things,” (On Fasting). The Second Sunday of Advent in the Extraordinary Form has much to say about the benefits of dedication to spiritual things. All throughout its prayers, there is an emphasis on what such a renewal brings.
In the Introit, the Prophet Isaiah states that The Lord will “make the glory of His voice to be heard, in the joy of your heart.” (Is 30:30) If there is one thing that is solely missing from the world, it is joy residing in our hearts. Instead of joy, there seems to be a constant anxiety and trepidation. We worry about this or that political agenda, about our jobs, our families, the decline of society, etc. All of these things are healthy in and of themselves (our ability to recognize imperfection is itself a sign God uses to draw us to him), but if we focus on them too much, this anxiety and worry begins to consume us. Facing such trouble, it can be hard to hear the voice of God.
The season of Advent exists so we can make it easier to hear the voice of God. Our God is a God who speaks within our heart. When something speaks to the heart, it signifies touching you in the deepest way possible. When the prophet proclaims that God will speak in the joy of your heart, he speaks of a joy that moves you deeply, deeper than anything this world can give you. The greatness of this joy is why the Collect implores God to “Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of your only-begotten Son.”
The most important thing to know about this joy is that we must be willing to be completely open to it. Think of a great story. If we allow ourselves to be lost within the story, to really give ourselves over to pondering its meaning, it takes on a greater significance than if we just read through the words on a page as fast as possible. The same thing happens with the joy of Christ. Anyone, even a non-believer, can experience in passing the joy of Christ if they are genuinely seeking. Yet the difference between them and the faithful Christian is that we devote everything to that joy. We allow that joy to touch every bit of our lives, and to cling to it as long as we can. For many, that joy is sadly a passing moment. Why? Because they are so caught up in the things of this world they are too busy to hear the voice of God.
To encourage us to hear this voice, the epistle tells us that God is a God of “patience and comfort.” While the comfort part is rather self-explanatory, why is it important that God is a God of patience? This matters because due to sin, humans are by nature impatient. All we know is impatience. Even what we call “patience” is normally patient compared to something else. If I go ten seconds before exploding on someone, whereas you only lasted five, I am more “patient” than you are. We might forgive a mistake once. The good among us might even forgive a second offense. A saint might even forgive a mistake ten times over.
God’s patience is different. He forgives “seventy times seven.” As long as we are contrite, He forgives. If we are angry, He listens. The prophet Habukuk was constantly questioning God, and many times it was due to his impatience. God always answers him patiently. During the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God answers twenty questions from Abraham, and never shows disapproval at the questioning. If God is going to speak to us at the most personal level, then it should be expected that we should be able to have this kind of familiarity with Him.
When He speaks to us, the Gospel tells us that it will be in a way we understand. (Matthew 11:2-10) John the Baptist is a righteous man trying to have peace in his heart just like all of us. The only difference is that he is in prison facing certain execution. John I’m sure knew his fate. Herod wanted him dead, but didn’t want to start a riot. It was only a question of when, not if. Before he dies, he wants to make sure that he isn’t dying in vain. He was to be the herald of the Messiah, and he wants to make sure that Messiah is here. When his servants ask Christ about this, Jesus doesn’t respond in an angry way. He tells John “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not scandalized in Me.” As a student of the law and prophets, John would know that this is a clear affirmation Christ is the Messiah, and he should take peace in that. When we ask questions, God will show us the answer in a way we understand, even if we have to think about it first.
As we think about these things, talk to God. He wishes to offer you true renewal, but you have to be willing to accept that renewal.
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