“Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.”
This psalm response filled our ears and throats for two days in a row. And in our first reading from Jeremiah, he too declares that “the days are coming” when that justice would arrive, because he “our Lord of justice” would dwell in the land, and so Israelwould, “dwell in security.”
Hmm! All of this promised when he would come. And he came! But did justice dwell in the land, and does it now?
I must admit that when Pope Francis speaks of justice and calls the world to live it, it makes me profoundly proud; I can see why as I read these scriptures today.
The psalm not only gives us this wonderful response, but then spells it out descriptively as we hear of God rescuing the poor, governing with justice, helping the afflicted, pitying the poor and lowly, doing wondrous deeds, and filling the earth with his glory.
And when the pope calls us all to justice, I feel that pride that this message has been heard; I feel the responsibility to continue to speak it and attempt to live it. And if we did, truly, wouldn’t the world be filled with peace? Wouldn’t the lowly and poor be lifted up and be given a share in that glory and the riches that surely God intended and intends for all to share?
To echo the prayer from yesterday’s liturgy, didn’t God enter into and share our humanity in the flesh of a tiny baby so vulnerable and weak so that we could begin in a new way and in a decisive way to be touched by and given a sharing in God’s divinity?
As I see it, that was gloriously proclaimed in words of love and forgiveness on the cross. If Jesus could do on the cross what he said and did, doesn’t that position us to attempt to do the same at least some of the time?
Doesn’t Pope Francis express that beautifully when he — with all of the responsibility that he must feel — calls us to do the same?
Then in today’s Gospel, we hear of the discovery of a not unwanted, but an unexpected pregnancy — at least by Joseph — that looked as though a beautiful relationship was about to come to an end, but was saved by an angel.
And because of a dream and the command of an angel, and the obedience and respect of Joseph, the prophetic promise was declared and about to be shared by all, even ourselves; and even to this day, which was —
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “‘God is with us.'”
And the opening prayer of today’s liturgy calls out to God —
“Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who are weighed down from of old by slavery beneath the yoke of sin, may be set free by the newness of the long-awaited Nativity of your Only Begotten Son.”
And so we must be ready to welcome all of that just a little more deeply into our hearts and into our skin throughout this Advent, and especially at Christmas. Then maybe we, too, will work toward making, “justice flourish in our time, and fullness of peace forever!”
