Second Sunday of Advent 2014 - Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” is an acclamation heard so clearly in Isaiah and Mark this Sunday, a cry that resonates in all corners of our problem filled world, which is very much in need of the Lord. There is absolutely no doubt that we are called to ecumenism in the Church of Christ, reaching out across barriers is so much part of the mission Jesus shows us in his teaching and example, a ministry echoed in the great documents of the Second Vatican Council particularly the Decree on Ecumenism. Rooted in these teachings Pope Francis urges us to let go of fear and walk in these visionary roads of the contemporary Church, why? Because this is the way of the Holy Spirit whose gifts, given to us, are for us to prepare the Lord’s way in our society and place!

There is a lot of negativity in the world, as there is in the Church of `God. We see so many fragments and divisions, people are frightened for some reason at varied points of view, fearful of change and transition. Some of this is not actual but fabricated, because for God there is no real opposition between conservative and liberal, left and right, if we look into our hearts and souls, we are really seeking to do what is right. The ecumenism of God is to unite all creation in love, all of us!

The problem is that we are fearful creatures, even those whom we consider strong have their Achilles heel, but our scriptures this second Sunday of Advent call us to breath slowly, relax and re-focus become ecumenical and open.

The gentle voice of the Spirit of God sings a song to us of comfort in words so ancient and so rooted in the faith texts of our family: ‘fear not’ the prophet sings, ‘be comforted ‘ echoes the heavens, Mark proclaims that John in the wilderness ‘prepares the way’ and points to the One who will save us, the one who will come like a thief in the night and catch us unawares, but unlike a robber will not take away possessions but bring love. Let us take that as our comfort, we are held close to God’s heart in the love of Father, Son and Spirit, now and always!

Fr Robin Gibbons is an Eastern Rite Chaplain for the Melkite Greek Catholics in Britain.