Daring to hope
Third Sunday of Advent
December 17, 2000

Daring to hope
by Tom Cox

Expectation is probably one of the greatest killers in human relationships today. Every person is flawed, spouses often let down one another; life and people disappoint. While gospel writer Luke speaks of a “feeling of expectancy” among the people, for their modern counterparts that particular spirit-level is low. Anything to avoid let-down. Better to keep the head down and say; “we don't expect any changes around here.”

Still, whatever about expectation we'd give our right arm for that joy that jumps off the page from our second reading. 'Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice . . . The Lord is at hand'. On sixteen occasions in a five page letter Paul speaks of joy. Yet he is in prison, living under the threat of death. A time of uncertainty in a place of misery. Paul however only speaks of joy, not conditioned by circumstances but by the conviction of belonging to the Lord, of being in his care.

So, like the Baptist's questioners we ask; “What must we do?” It's answered through these readings at three levels, that of action (Gospel), that of belief (1st Reading) and that of attitude of mind and heart (2nd Reading). It is all based on the one hope and certainty - that our God is near. He is coming now and he will come ultimately to sift out everything that we can neither understand nor cope with now. Must we believe in this God? Can we dare believe?

(Comments to Tom at stmarysrcathlone@oceanfree.net )