The Second Sunday in Advent

“I will hear what God proclaims; for he proclaims peace to his people.” We are certainly in the busiest time of the year. We seem to always be in a rush, rush, rush and in a rapid hurry running from here to there and then from there to here. There is so much that we must do. So much that has to be done. There are things to buy, people to see, messages to send, food to prepare. I am worn out just thinking about it. How about you? You know God proclaims peace to his people. Have you stopped to consider for a moment what that might be like? What does peace look like? What does peace sound like? How does the possibility of being at peace make you feel? Do you want peace? Do you need peace? Does this season truly bring you peace or are you happier when it is all over? The Church teaches us that peace is what our minds need, what our hearts truly long for, what the ultimate destiny of our souls should be -eternal and perpetual rest. We even pray at certain liturgies and conclude certain devotions by saying, “May the Divine assistance remain always with us. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.” Therefore, we long for the peace of God now and seek to have it always. That is why we are encouraged to slow down during this season and turn our focus inward. To become more reflective and to listen carefully to what is going on inside of us.  To consider what outside forces keep us from obtaining the peace that Advent offers us. So are you at peace? Do you have peace of mind or is your mind lost in planning, consumed in thought, worried about tomorrow? Do you have peace of heart or are you still at war with your neighbor or competing for the best decoration award or are you still undecided and struggling with who to invite or not to invite? Do you have peace of soul or are you still ignoring God or harboring a grudge against certain individuals or still unwilling to forgive someone who has hurt you? Will that bring you peace? You owe it to yourself and to the God who loves you and longs to give you his peace to turn off the noise, to silence your heart, to quiet your mind and to hear God proclaim peace to you and to his people.