There is a desire in every person for a perfect world. Especially when things get really tough. We all take refuge in the simple thought that the world can be a better place than what we are experiencing here and now. And I suspect that all of us, at some time or another, have made a little list of what a perfect world looks like. I came across a list of some of the things that would be in this perfect world, and I thought I would share a few:
In a Perfect World a person should feel as good at 60 as he did at 16, and he would actually be as smart at 60 as he thought he was at 16.
In a Perfect World you could give away a baby bed without getting pregnant.
In a Perfect World pro baseball players would complain about teachers being paid contracts worth millions of dollars.
In a Perfect World the mail would always be early, the check would always be in the mail, and it would be written for more than you expected.
In a Perfect World cookies might have calories, but if you ate them with ice cream, the calories would be neutralized.
In a Perfect World, every once in a while, a kid who always closed the door softly would be told, "Go back and slam the door."
In a perfect world, the priest would never talk about money, their homilies would incredibly amusing and inspiring, while lasting only four minutes and you would always find a parking place near the door.
These are just a few of the items that would be found in a perfect world. I am sure that you could tell me many more that you would add to the list. But this concept of a perfect world is more than just the product of our wishful thinking or vivid imagination. In our first reading today, we hear the prophet Isaiah, as he announces the world that will accompany the coming of the messiah. In beautiful and incredible terms, he predicts the wonderful ways that the world will be transformed. Listen again to Isaiah’s description of the world:
He will care for the poor and afflicted, he will slay the ruthless and the wicked.
He will be clothed in justice and faithfulness.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my
the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my
holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD.
What a beautiful description of the perfect world! How comforting to imagine living in a place of such perfect peace, harmony, and justice! Yes, this prophecy from Isaiah indeed describes a perfect world, a world which only God can establish and maintain.
With this image in mind, we might wonder how it fits with our gospel today. In the passage from Matthew, we hear about John the Baptist, who captures our attention with his wild appearance, exotic diet of locusts and wild honey, and his strong language of repentance. How seemingly different is John’s approach to the perfect world where he calls the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers and warns us that everyone not bearing good fruit will be laid low and tossed into everlasting fire. John’s message is an uncomfortable one. His mission was to prepare the way of the Lord by helping people realize their sinfulness and rekindle their hope for the promise of salvation. Gone are the comforting images of peace and harmony. In place of these we receive a jarring challenge that ends with judgment and fire. We might struggle to see how his message is directly related to the idyllic prophesy of Isaiah in the first reading.
But, in fact, Isaiah’s promise of the perfect world and the message of John the Baptist are inseparable. The only way to reach that perfect world of justice, harmony, and peace is to first embrace the spirit of repentance John promoted. The painful truth is we live in an imperfect world and we are very imperfect people. Just like the people who encountered John the Baptist in person, we too need to be reminded of our need for repentance and the salvation which only Christ can give. This is the point of Advent, to awaken our souls to our need for the Divine Messiah and to call us to a greater repentance for our sins and weaknesses that keep us from approaching the holy mountain of the Lord. By embracing this spirit of repentance, we become more and more capable of welcoming the messiah when he comes at Christmas.
But embracing a spirit of repentance is not always easy. How often we imitate the Pharisees and Sadducees, by appearing outwardly righteous in our actions but refusing to conform our hearts to the coming of Christ in our daily lives? How easy it can be to ignore those modern-day John the Baptist’s whether that be the Catholic Church, a priest, or the persistent voice of our own conscience?
We all desire to reach that perfect world described in our first reading. Our hearts ache for an existence filled with lasting peace, justice, and harmony. The good news is that this place is more than a dream, God assures us that it is a reality for all who follow him and live for his glory. But we only reach this perfect world through the message of John the Baptist. We can only enjoy the promise of eternal happiness if we first embrace a spirit of repentance and allow this life to be a time of purification. John came to prepare the way for Jesus - the Prince of Peace. He came and offered a gift of God - a gift that enables us to meet God more fully. The gift of repentance.
As we celebrate this second Sunday of Advent, what is it in your life that needs repentance? What can you do to better prepare the way of the Lord to come into your heart this Christmas? Are you willing to be purified by the sacrament of confession and set free from the bondage of sin? To confess, to repent, is often very difficult. Admitting our need for help, and believing that help is available, even for us, can be a hard thing to do - but it's the key to unlocking that perfect world of Isaiah: a future of inner and outer peace, the peace promised long ago, the peace that Jesus brings even now to those who accept God's gift and which he will bring fully to the whole world on the day of his return. So let us embrace a spirit of repentance this advent season so that we may enter into that perfect world which is the longing of every human heart.
