HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE - SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (12/4/2022)

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 4, 2022
by Al Mansfield

Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72
Romans 15:4-9
Matthew 3:1-12

HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE

"Christ's entire mission is summed up in this: to baptize us in the Holy Spirit" (Benedict XVI, Angelus, January 13, 2008). Advent is the season of expectation of the coming of the Messiah - he who will baptize us in the Holy Spirit and fire, the fire of judgment. The Messiah will bring true justice and judgment to the earth.

ISAIAH

Do you remember the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord? You probably had to learn them at Confirmation. Today's reading from Isaiah refers to them as gifts of the Messiah, who is the Anointed Anointer - the one who will baptize "with the Holy Spirit and fire." The Messiah will not judge by appearance nor decide based on hearsay, "but he shall judge the poor with justice and decide aright for the Lord's afflicted."

The description that follows is a scene of messianic peace on the Lord's holy mountain, of various animals grazing together "with a little child to guide them."

Isaiah prophesies that in messianic times, "the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea."  The prophet says that the Messiah will be "a sprout from the stump of Jesse." He also refers to "the root of Jesse." Jesse, of course, is the father of King David. In the ancient "O Antiphons" sung during the last week of Advent, the verse assigned to December 19 is, "O Root of Jesse's stem, sign of God's love for all his people: come to save us without delay."

The Responsorial, Psalm 72, reflects the messianic peace and just judgment present in God's kingdom.

GOSPEL

Today we hear St. Matthew's account of the ministry John the Baptist. John was a cousin of Jesus as well as his precursor. John's message was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." When Jesus begins his public ministry, Matthew records him using these very same words (cf. Matt. 4:17). John goes on to quote Isaiah 40:3 to describe his role of preparing the way of the Messiah.

John preached a message of repentance and administered a baptism as a sign of repentance. Matthew specifically notes that "many of the Pharisees and Sadducees" came to John to receive his baptism. John, however, chastised them and called them "a brood of vipers." John challenges them not to simply rely on being descendants of the patriarch Abraham, but rather to "produce good fruit" as evidence that their repentance is sincere.

Then John contrasts his baptism with the one that Jesus will give: "I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." The fire is symbolic of God's judgment - separating wheat from chaff.

ROMANS

Our second reading from Romans tells us exactly why we have a written record of the word of God in Scripture: It was written "...for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

St. Paul identifies the Lord as the "God of endurance and encouragement." He exhorts the Romans to strive for harmony that there may be unity in praising the Father - only possible through the working of the Holy Spirit.

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD

Isaiah tells us that "the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him," that is, the long-expected Messiah. He will manifest a spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord.

The Messiah has come - Jesus - and through his Spirit has poured out these gifts upon us, the children of adoption. Today, let us ask the grace of the Holy Spirit to prepare well during this Advent Season for the coming of the Lord.