Readings: Bar 5:1-9; Phil 1:4-6, 8-11; Lk 3:1-6
In the second reading, St. Paul prays that our love would grow, but he does not stop there. Instead, he prays that our love will increase our knowledge and perception in order to discern what is of value. Before we can consider the rest of his prayer, we need to reflect on what we have seen thus far.
In order for our love to grow, we must be purified of whatever stands in the way of being able to love more. Without doubt, that is selfishness of some kind, but it can result in or be the result of some area of sin or attachment. Sin will cause a darkening of the mind and a weakening of the will. The darkening of the mind makes it difficult to discern the truth and the weakening of the will makes it difficult to choose the highest good.
The highest good is God and His will is always the best. Because we are not always united to the will of God (because we want to do our own will) we do not always see God’s will as being best. Therefore, we choose a lesser good or, sometimes, something that is not good at all. In saying this, we must understand that anything and everything we do is done because it seems good to us. Even the most heinous sin appears to the person who commits it to be somehow good for them. If we consider our own sins, we know they are wrong and offensive to God, but we choose them because of some misguided idea of the good we will receive from performing the action.
There is a truth contained in the first reading that is, perhaps, hidden from our understanding. This truth is of the second greatest importance behind the one we just considered. Baruch, speaking on behalf of the Lord, says to Jerusalem: “bear on your head the mitre that displays the glory of the eternal name.” On one hand, Baruch is addressing the holy city, but obviously, the city does not wear a mitre. The reference is more particularly to the High Priest who did wear a mitre with a diadem worn on the forehead. However, it is clear that the reference is not merely to the High Priest, so it can only be understood to be addressed to the citizens of Jerusalem.
What God is showing the people through the Prophet is the great dignity He has bestowed on His people. The mitre and the cloak of justice refer to the priesthood of the faithful. He later says God will bring the people back “borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones.” This is a reference to the royal office bestowed on the faithful. Baruch then speaks of the mountains being brought low and the depths being filled up so Israel could advance secure in the Lord, “for God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory.” This refers to the prophetic office, which is to know the will of God, teach it, and carry it out.
You are a member of the new Jerusalem and you are a member of Jesus Christ; therefore, you are a priest, a prophet, and a king. This lays the foundation for us to have greater insight into the second great truth which relates to our dignity. We are all made in the image and likeness of God, but that dignity is heightened by our incorporation into Jesus. However, it is that hidden detail that bears this truth most profoundly. What the diadem on the mitre of the High Priest said was “Holy to the Lord.” That is you!
We do not often recognize our holiness or think ourselves to be holy; instead, we tend to notice our weaknesses, sins, and failures. If we are in the state of grace, we are holy, but we need to grow in holiness because that means we are growing in love. This growth, as we have seen, will lead to greater knowledge and perception to discern what is of value. For this reason, as we recognize our sinfulness we can see where, as St. John the Baptist tells us in the Gospel, there are mountains that need to be made low, valleys that need to be filled up, winding ways that need to be made straight, and rough ways that need to be made smooth.
If we will cooperate with God’s grace and work to become the saints God is calling us to be, we will realize that many things in our lives are not of true value, but the things of God are of the greatest value. This will help to make us blameless for the day of Christ, so that, filled with the fruit of righteousness, we will see the salvation of God!
Fr. Altier’s column appears regularly in The Wanderer, a national Catholic weekly published in St. Paul, Minn. For information about subscribing to The Wanderer, please visit www.thewandererpress.com.