A new year has begun, at least according to the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. According to our calendar the last Sunday was the feast of Christ the King, and the New Year began, as it always does, on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27.
In the past year the world experienced so much: the Tsunami in Asia; Pope John Paul II passing; the election of Pope Benedict XVI; John Roberts' confirmation to the Supreme Court; Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of New Orleans; and, of course, the White Sox's sweep in the World Series. While each of these events cause us to reflect on what has happened, no other single event so dominated our news, and therefore causes us to reflect in this Advent season, as terrible conflict in Iraq.
The year started out powerfully in Iraq when the people voted for their representatives for a new government. Purple fingers held in the air after voting became a symbol of liberty, justice, and hope. All seemed to be progressing well in Iraq. Yet even these modest successes simply provided additional fuel for those seeking liberation from the occupying coalition. As the death toll of both Iraqis and Coalition Forces continued to rise, talk about the torture of detainees, internal disputes in the Iraqi government, and a growing debate over the withdrawal of Coalition forces, rapt our attention. The liberty the Iraqi people once hoped for now seems a distant memory.
Like the people in Iraq, one challenge we face as peacebuilders is nurturing a sense of hope--that deep-seated belief that God's peace will prevail--in the midst of turbulence. As Catholic Christians we are inspired by the Vatican II document "The Church in the Modern World." It states:
There is on the one hand a lively feeling of unity and of compelling solidarity, of mutual dependence, and on the other a lamentable cleavage of bitterly opposing camps. We have not yet seen the last of bitter political, social, and economic hostility, and racial and ideological antagonism, nor are we free from the spectre of a war of total destruction... As a result [we] hover between hope and anxiety and wonder uneasily about the present course of events. It is a situation that challenges men to respond; they cannot escape (4).The Advent season reminds us of these same ideas, especially the Advent wreath. The wreath is made of a number of symbols: 3 purple candles for the first three Sunday of advent which signify a sense of despair; one pink candle which signifies joy; on Christmas day a white candle is placed in the middle to signify the Lord among us; the evergreen wreath shows God's unchanging nature; and the circularity displays God's eternal love. On the first Sunday of Advent only one candle is lit and the room remains somewhat dark. Throughout each additional week another candle is lit and illuminates the room. This is a powerful symbol showing the growing hope we have in the coming infant Christ.
During Advent we can be inspired by this symbol and approach the pressing issues like Iraq and others in a similar manner. While our efforts building peace may seem negligible today--the world seems so dark--we also know that our efforts bring the light of Christ into our world. And, lest we forget, it is neither the might nor the power of the United States military that is our hope for peace. It is God alone who brings peace
Catholic Connections
As we wait to celebrate the incarnation of God in Jesus, The Church in the Modern World speaks of the hope we have in Christ's second coming,
Insofar as men are sinners, the threat of war hangs over them and will so continue until the coming of Christ; but insofar as they can vanquish sin by coming together in charity, violence itself will be vanquished and they will make these words come true, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more' (Isaiah 2:4) (78).
Reflection Questions
Have you had moments in your life when you struggled to maintain hope?
Join us in our Forum to discuss these questions!
