The Conflicts

Mary and Joseph lived in a world full of cultural, institutional and ideological confrontation. Roman vs Israelite, Pharisee vs Sadducee, Jew vs Gentile, to name a few. One thing all these institutions had in common was the desire to conquer, manipulate and control the rest of humanity. Something lacking in all of these institutions was empathy or respect for anyone outside their circle. No wonder God chose Mary, a young teenager uncorrupted by human constructs, to bear his only begotten son.

Has anything changed?

 Sadly, in my opinion, the names and titles may have changed but human nature hasn’t. People still prefer rivalry and exclusivity to dialogue and inclusion. Worse yet, many use someone else’s bad behavior to justify their actions in retaliation. St. Augustine would refer to this attitude as “libido dominandi” or the lust to dominate. We must ask ourselves, is this God’s will? Would this kind of behavior be acceptable in Heaven?

Why prepare for Advent?

“To create on Earth an environment as it is in Heaven”

This is our mission, should we choose to accept it. Left to humanity alone, this mission is impossible! Only by our submission to the will of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, can we truly create on Earth as it is in Heaven. After all, isn’t this what Jesus taught his apostles. Can any of us recall a time when Jesus said to Peter, “Fine, let’s do it your way.” This Advent lets challenge ourselves to completely examine our personal obstacles to full communion with God and embrace the totality of God’s love and desire for us to become distinguished citizens of Heaven.

De Colores,

Frank Viscomi