Fr. Wells' bulletin inserts

ADVENT IV

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Today's Epistle ends with a familiar verse, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” That sentence, with a little tweaking by Archbishop Cranmer, is included in the Blessing which concludes the Prayer Book Eucharist.
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The key word of both the text and the liturgical blessing is Peace, a word we hear often this time of year as Christmas approaches. It was also a key word in the song the angels sang to the shepherds: “And on earth peace, good will toward men.”

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When these two texts are compared, some striking facts emerge. First the source of this peace must be God Himself. Peace does not just happen by accident; it is a Divine gift. Second, this wonderful peace which can come only from God cannot be analyzed or dissected; it can only be experienced. Third, this peace is not undifferentiated or willy-nilly; it is a special gift from God to a particular group, “men with whom He is pleased,” to give a more accurate translation. Fourth, this Peace is inseparably linked to the Person of Jesus Christ.
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Peace, as the New Testament uses the word, has a double dimension. It is an inner tranquility which overcomes fear and anxiety, but at the same time (and this is more basic) it is a new relationship with God. Peace is the opposite of war and comes only after the end of hostility and wrath. The story of mankind from the rebellion of our first parents, Adam and Eve was a history of our mutiny against our Creator and of His holy displeasure, which the Bible calls wrath. But God took the initiative in subduing our sin and resolving His righteous anger. This Divine initiative achieved the peace which the angels sang about.
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In the upper room, the night of His betrayal and arrest, Jesus spoke of this peace. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). It was not just an ordinary greeting on Easter morning when the Risen Lord confronted His disciples, “Peace be with you.” Because of what Jesus had accomplished, a whole new situation had come to pass, an unexpected state of affairs between God and sinners, a drastic reversal which Jesus called “peace.” Peace is the expensive gift paid for by His perfect obedience, His Cross and His empty tomb. This gift is the peace described by Paul, “For He himself is our peace.” That sentence, from Eph. 2:14, should end with an exclamation point; this is a startling, amazing, miraculous peace. As Paul said elsewhere, “making peace by the blood of His cross.” This bloody peace is the peace which made the shepherds rush to Bethlehem. May it be ours this Christmastide. LKW

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Today's first reading, from Philippians, was undoubtedly chosen because of one short verse: “The Lord is at hand.” It would be easy to read the whole passage and skip this verse altogether, as it seems to be an interruption to Paul's flow of thought. He might simply have written, “Let your moderation be known unto all men....Be careful for nothing...” But between these two simple commands Paul inserted a bold statement concerning the proximity of Christ's coming.

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The message of St John Baptist is summed up in the announcement, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus continued to preach that message, and here we see that Paul carries on in the same tradition, with one important change. Instead of “the kingdom of heaven,” Paul says “the Lord.” In Jesus Christ Himself, in His person and work the reign of God had become real, actual, visible and tangible within a sinful world. As the first truly obedient Man, whose unique obedience brought Him to His cross, He inaugurated the kingdom of God on earth. Where Jesus is, the Kingdom is there.
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But Jesus is now in heaven! Is the kingdom not here?

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Imagine the excitement, both fear and delight, which would have gripped a small city in the hinterlands of the Roman empire if someone had announced, “The emperor is on the outskirts of our town.” Paul expected his readers to have just such a reaction. That excitement gives point and edge to the moral advice he was dispensing.
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Paul's announcement is as true and as exciting today as it ever was. Today is the last Sunday before Christmas, a day when even the secular world becomes giddy and frantic. Even the most cynical unbeliever cannot resist the awareness that Something Is About To Happen. Those outside the community of faith try to convince themselves, “It is just another day,” but they do not seem really to believe that. Even a rumor of God being made flesh is unnerving to the ungodly.

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And to the Faithful, “The Lord is at hand.” The same Jesus who now reigns in heaven comes to us now in the sacrament of the Altar, when He gives us His body and blood in the form of bread and wine. Every celebration of the Eucharist foreshadows His visible personal Coming at the Last Day. But at the same time, every Eucharist brings us face to face with Bethlehem. We remember the shepherds who saw the infant Saviour. Did Mary allow them to hold and caress the babe? We are given a privilege just as great when we see, take in our hands, and even eat His flesh in the blessed Sacrament. “The Lord is at hand.” LKW