44. BITESIZE CATECHISM: THE SECOND WEEK OF THE ADVENT WREATH - THE OLD TESTAMENT ERA

 

APPETIZER: In order to reveal himself to men, in the condescension of his goodness God speaks to them in human words. In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, but as what it really is, the word of God. In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them. The Old Testament is an indispensable part of Sacred Scripture. Its books are divinely inspired and retain a permanent value, for the Old Covenant has never been revoked. Indeed, the message of the Old Testament was deliberately oriented so that it should prepare for and declare in prophecy the coming of Christ, the redeemer of all people. It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned which writings are to be included in the list of the sacred books. This complete list is called the canon of Scripture. It includes 46 books for the Old Testament and 27 for the New. (see CCC #101-120)

MAIN COURSE:  We pondered the first era of human history beginning with Adam and Eve during the First Week of Advent.  We learned during that week that from the beginning, God promised to send a Savior who would undo what those first two humans had done in causing a spiritual alienation between mankind and God. As we light the second purple candle for this Second Week of Advent, the Wreath calls our attention to the Old Testament of the Bible.  It is in this first part of the Sacred Scriptures, which we hold in reverence together with Judaism, that we see the unfolding of God's promise through those who were chosen to be the ancestors of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. So, let's take quick journey through this phase of the salvation story.

The story begins with Abraham who is the first to be called by God in special way for very special mission. He lived about 4,500 years ago and was asked to trust in God and become the father - literally and spiritually - of the Chosen People who who were known as Hebrews and would come to be called "Israel".  Because he believed God, to this day Abraham is honored by Jews, Christians and Muslims as an outstanding example of faith. It is important to remember that in all of Scripture the word "faith" can also be equally translated as "trust". Abraham trusted in God even when what was asked of him seem impossible or even ridiculous.

Isaac and Jacob were respectively the son and grandson of Abraham.  Together with Abraham, they are called the Patriarchs or Fathers of the Chosen People. They receive the highest reverence and praise in this regard by us Christians as well. Like him they carried on the promise and the prophecy with trust, although they faltered here and there. It is from Jacob that the Hebrews became known as Israel (which was his nickname) and it was on the foundation of his 12 sons that there came to be the Twelve Tribes of Israel.  

Jesus, in his incarnate humanity, was a descendent of Jacob's son Judah.  We can say this because tribal lineage came from one's paternal line and St. Joseph was of the Tribe of Judah. We must remember here that in Jewish law adoption bestowed all legal rights and family ties as for a biological child. So Jesus, the adopted son of Joseph, and thus of this tribe.  There is some ancient evidence that the Virgin Mary, too, was of this tribe on her father's side while her mother was of the Tribe of Levi.  You might find it interesting to know that one of Jesus' titles is "Lion of the Tribe of Judah" and for this reason author C.S. Lewis made Aslan, the lion to be the major Christ-figure in his Chronicles of Narnia.

After the Patriarchs the most important persons of the Old Testament are Moses, King David and the Prophets.  Moses, of course, is first among these heroes and holy ones of Israel's history since he was the one to lead them out of slavery in Egypt, received he Ten Commandments from God, and brought them to the borders of the Holy Land. This happened about 3,500 years ago. Moses was a prefigurement of the Savior who would free the people from slavery to sin and its consequence of death by his Cross and Resurrection.

While there were several kings of Israel, David of Jerusalem was the second and most beloved. He was at first the shepherd boy who slew Goliath with a slingshot and through this victory became a servant  and friend of King Saul.  He had musical talent and is said to have written most of the hymns of the Jews that we call the Book of Psalms so, you see, we still pray his inspired words to this day in our Liturgies.  David slipped into some pretty awful sinful tendencies as king.  But he repented and became such a awesome leader that after his death he was held up as an example and model of the Messiah to come.

Finally, the Prophets of Israel stand our among all the Old Testament figures during Advent.  It is their inspired words that we read and proclaim in this holy season which foretell and describe the message and mission of the Messiah, the Savior.  There were about 48 significant prophets but the chief ones among them to whom we turn in our liturgy are Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The Messianic Prophecies of these men foretold that the Savior would be born of a virgin in Bethlehem.  A star would announce his coming and worshippers from afar would come to him bearing gifts.  He would carry out a ministry of healing the blind, lame and sick and would bring about a kingdom rooted in peace and justice. Finally, he would be rejected by the people, suffer and die but God would not permit him to remain in the grave.

DOGGIE-BAG: A little something to take with you for spiritual snacking...

ICON OF MARY, VIRGIN OF THE SIGN

One of the most ancient icons (religious images) of the Blessed Mother is the one called "Virgin of the Sign" or "Mother of God of the Sign".  It is an illustration of the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah which says that God will give a SIGN of his promise and it will be that a VIRGIN will give birth to a SON. This icon is especially popular among Eastern Rite Catholics and Orthodox Christians, but it is an Advent favorite for all. There are many versions of it, but they all show Mary with outstretched arms welcoming Jesus who is conceived within her womb.  The one below is a copy of an ornate beaded and gold-plated icon.

An Advent Prayer for Peace

Lord, in a season when every heart should be happy and light, many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life—burdens that steal our joy. Threats seem to be all around us at times and an inner voice whispers, “Be afraid!”  But you have said, "Do not be afraid. I am with you always." We need your peace, Jesus. We confess that our hearts are too often filled with worry, not peace. Stir up within us the Good News once again. 

This Advent, make the Good News real in our hearts. Never have we needed Your joy and peace more than now. We not only need Your peace and joy; Lord, we crave it. You’ve promised rest for the weary, victory for the battle-scarred, peace for the anxious, and acceptance for the broken hearted—not just at Advent, but every day of every year. Your name is still called “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” and “The Prince of Peace.” We know that peace on earth can only come when hearts find peace with You. So please grant to me, and to all who are worried or burdened, the Joy and Serenity that your Bethlehem manger promises. Amen.

SCRIPTURE VERSE TO MEMORIZE: "The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel (which means God-is-with-us)." (Isaiah 7:14)