Advent Reflection in 2009 By Bob Struzynski

I read recently of a teacher who had an interesting way of teaching children about the Bible. He took them to the local library and showed them the different kinds of books in the library: history, fiction, poetry, biography, reference books and then he said: “ Now the bible is really not a book but a library. And it is important to know which book you are reading in this library too so you read it correctly.

Now that little lesson is important for our reading from the Gospel today. We read from the Book of Revelation and that is an apocalyptic book, a special type of literature prevalent in the 1st Century A.D. and connected with the experience of persecution. It is not to be taken literally, rather through its fantastic imagery the message for those first believers is that, in spite of their terrible situation, the Lord has not abandoned them. He is present in the midst of what they are going through and he will come again so fear not, just persevere, don't give up hope!

This message rings loud and clear in the spirituality of A. A. and I try to deliver it weekly in the prison where I am Chaplain. I often put it in the words of a recovering alcoholic priest who wrote a book of meditations for “all people recovering from life”:

“Everything can be used for good if it is perceived realistically; destructive experiences, painful moments and failed relationships can all be used to create a new tomorrow.”

For me this is a wonderful restatement of the same message from the Book of Apocalypse for all of us today. Be hopeful, no matter what you are going through as we begin this season of Advent. The Lord has not abandoned you. He has come! He comes into the present moment no matter how dark it might seem and He will come again.

We live in a world where we currently face significant problems both domestically and internationally and, for many people, these problems have impacted them in a very personal manner. Throughout the Readings and Gospel the themes of hope and confidence are present. Confidence that God will help all of us persevere through both our personal and communal troubles and hope that we can find solutions to our problems at some point in the future. Most likely our solutions will be far from perfect but, through God, we will find a way for them to work for us and all others involved. This hope and confidence will provide a strong foundation for all our days until we no longer have a physical presence on the earth.