Sunday – 4th Week of Advent A

Joyfully we draw nearer and nearer to that celebration in which we rejoice with all of heaven and earth at the love of God who descended into our midst by assuming a human nature, born to us a tiny babe in Bethlehem.

My brothers and sisters, in today’s readings we have beautiful reminders of how much God loves us and how much He is present in our lives, if we allow Him to be, if we seek His will, and if we seek His face.

In the first reading, as we have heard even throughout the week from the prophet Isaiah, where the Lord speaks to King Ahaz, we remember the context. The people of God are surrounded by enemies, and Ahaz, instead of relying on the Lord, places his faith in the Assyrian nation, in the might and power of the Assyrian army.

My brothers and sisters, God so loved Ahaz. He says, what am I going to do to get you to believe Me that I am with you? So ask of Me any sign that you want. And I would like to stop here for a moment, because this is an incredible intervention of God. Asking for signs from God can sometimes be taken out of context, and can also be sinful if we are testing God. And Ahaz himself says twice, “I will not ask for a sign. I will not test the Lord.”

Except we find out later that this is not because he trusted in the Lord, but rather because he was afraid to let go of his trust in the human army of Assyria. And so there is a very fine line when it comes to asking for signs. The very fact that God commands him to ask for a sign from the Lord your God shows us that it is not always a bad thing. In fact, it can be encouraged by the Lord to seek His guidance.

This is very different from asking for a sign to see whether or not God exists. That is something else entirely. But if we are asking for a sign to help us obey His will more faithfully, to gain clarity about what He wants from us, that is something beautiful.

I like to go back to the days of Saint Francis of Assisi, who himself tried to discern God’s will by asking for signs. Initially, he allowed the Lord to guide him through the Bishop of Assisi, Bishop Guido, who helped him discern God’s will in his life. Later, as many brothers began to join him—before he died, we are told that five thousand men had already left everything to follow him—Francis was unsure about the direction the movement should take.

Were the brothers to withdraw as hermits, contemplatives with no contact with the outside world? Or were they being called by Jesus to go out into the world, while remaining deeply prayerful men? Saint Francis called upon Saint Clare of Assisi and several brothers, including Brother Leo and Brother Rufino, to pray independently and return with what they believed God was saying. All came back with the same conviction: the brothers were not called to withdraw, but to remain itinerant witnesses of the Gospel.

Then Saint Francis did something remarkable. He asked the Lord for a sign, not through a supernatural phenomenon, but through His Word. He opened the Book of the Gospels three times, and the early sources report that he received three missionary passages, all converging on the same mandate: go, preach, and trust God.

From Saint Matthew: “As you go, make this proclamation: the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Take nothing for the journey.” From Saint Luke chapter nine: “Take nothing for the journey, neither staff nor bag, nor bread, nor money.” And from Saint Luke chapter ten: “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals. Whatever house you enter, say, ‘Peace to this house.’”