“Hope in the Midst of Uncertainty” by Colleen O’Sullivan

“Hope in the Midst of Uncertainty” by Colleen O’Sullivan

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

 

But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord: the remnant of Israel. They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; Nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue; They shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them. (Zephaniah 3:12-13)

 

Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.” (Matthew 21:31b-32)

Piety

Let me call out to you; hear me: Give me the grace to see those around me who are brokenhearted. Please guide me in staying with them in their sorrows. I ask for the courage to help them in all the ways they need it and to be your servant on this earth. (from Closing Prayer for Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent, Creighton University Online Ministries)

Study

We are living in uncertain times. Covid-19 came seemingly out of the blue and has taken over our lives, as well as taking many lives. Children in many places stay home all the time and get their education online. Business lost. Jobs have disappeared overnight. For many, hunger has set in alongside the inability to pay rent or utilities. We wonder, will the vaccine be effective? Will people be willing to get the vaccine? Will life ever go back to the way it was before when the sick and dying could be comforted by family, holidays could be celebrated with loved ones, and masks were mainly just for healthcare workers?

We’re not the first and almost certainly won’t be the last people to live with uncertainty. In our first reading today, the prophet Zephaniah acknowledges that the then-current age is one of corruption and injustice. The mighty care little at all for the poor in their midst. God, through Zephaniah, promises the people that a faithful remnant will be saved. These will be the people who are honest and poor in spirit, the "anawim." They will live peaceful lives caring for their flocks.

Mary and Joseph faced uncertainty, too. They had to go home to be counted in the census, but there was no phoning ahead for reservations at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bethlehem. The best place they could find for Jesus’ birth was a rough stable. Most likely, they found themselves overwhelmed by the visits from nearby shepherds and what the shepherds told them the angels had said. Later, the Lord told Joseph in a dream to take his little family and flee, that Herod was looking for Jesus to kill him. Mary and Joseph then found themselves refugees in Egypt.

Even Jesus faced uncertainty in his public ministry. Would anyone listen to him? Would anyone hear the Good News? Would they be willing to change their lives? Later, he must have wondered when surrounded by opposition how long he would last on earth to bring others into his Father’s Kingdom. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells a parable about a father who asks both of his sons to work in his vineyard that day. One says no but later changes his mind and shows up ready to do whatever needs doing. The other says okay but never shows his face. Of course, the first one is the obedient one, even though he refuses at first. Jesus tells his audience, the chief priests and elders, the powerful and wealthy, that they will be surprised at who will be first to enter the Kingdom of God. The first will be all the people they look down on and despise, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, and other sinners, who are willing to repent.

Action

Uncertainty is nothing new. Neither is the joyful hope and expectation of the Advent season. During the Angelus on the First Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis said: “Advent is a continuous call to hope. It reminds us that God is present in history to lead it to its ultimate goal and its fullness, the Lord Jesus Christ. God is present in the history of humanity; He is the ‘God-with-us.’ He walks beside us to support us.”

Pope Francis ended by reminding us, “The Lord never abandons us; He accompanies us through the events of our lives to help us discover the meaning of the journey, the meaning of everyday life, to give us courage when we are under duress or when we suffer. In the midst of life’s storms, God always extends His hand to us and frees us from threats.” (Vatican News)

As you pray today, turn over your grief, sadness, anger, and boredom – whatever COVID-19 has you feeling – to the Lord. God has never left us without comfort or hope throughout all of history, and today will be no different.