Today on the second Sunday of Advent, we consider the prophecy spoken by Zechariah in Luke 1:68-79:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we,
being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Together we remember Jesus who has come bringing with him salvation to us. We thank God for the tender mercy that gives light to those in darkness and in in the shadow of death. In these days of activism against Gender-Based Violence, we take a special note of God’s mercy that guides our feet into the way of peace. Yes, the light is our guide, but the language here (“guide” and “way”) invokes some action on our part. God does not do all the work for us but offers direction to our paths. In this regard, we together share in the opportunity and responsibility of bringing God’s peace to the world.
Today, we remember in prayer all the women and girls around the world live lives devoid of peace. We remember those who live in utter turmoil. We remember those who live in a constant state of fear. We remember those under oppressive powers and those enduring terrible acts of violence. We ask that God brings about peace and an end to the evils in their lives through our collective work.