Patience and Expectation

On the journey of faith, patience and expectation work hand-in-hand, each one strengthening and sustaining the other. Rather than insisting God provide a specific result at a specific time, patience allows the journey to unfold. Hopeful expectation provides the drive that sustains our faith and reinforces our belief in a positive outcome.

As we look at the readings for this Sunday, we find that for the third Sunday in a row, we are presented with more of Isaiah’s visions of peace and harmony. Isaiah invites us to hold both patience and expectation together, trusting that the unfolding of God’s peace will come in due time. This week, Isaiah describes the lush splendor of Mt. Carmel, a mountain range overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and the Sharon plain, a fertile coastal plain situated at its foot. Together, these regions are famous in biblical literature for their beauty and fertility, symbolizing God's abundant blessings.

In the second reading, James invites us to cultivate patience as we anticipate the coming of the Lord.  He paints a portrait of how righteous people live through a season of waiting: they do not resist the timing of God, much like a farmer who trusts the natural rhythm of the harvest.  And, like the prophets of old, righteous people speak the truth and continue to act justly, even in the midst of hardship.

Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus asks the crowds about their expectations regarding John the Baptist. “What did you go out to see?” Were they expecting to find someone easily influenced and swayed, like a reed in the wind? Were they expecting someone powered by wealth, wearing fine clothing? Or were they expecting to see a prophet? It is a reminder that our expectations are just that – expectations – and must align with God’s vision.

Christmas Connections

The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth teaches patience and expectation through their long period of faithful waiting, Zechariah's temporary muteness, and Elizabeth's steadfast, quiet hope. They were described as "righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly” (Lk 1:6).  Despite this, they were advanced in years and childless, a hardship that carried significant social stigma in their culture. Their faithfulness demonstrates that patience is not a passive surrender to fate, but an active, steadfast trust in God's timing, even when a blessing is long delayed.

Faith Sharing Questions

1. Can you think of a time when you had to wait patiently for something important? What was that waiting like for you? Was faith a comfort, or not, during that time?

2. The Gospel challenges us to consider whether our expectations are in line with God’s vision.  How do you discern when your expectations might need to shift?

3. Regarding John the Baptist, Jesus asks the crowd “who they came out to see?” Who acts as a prophet in your life today?

4.When you hold both patience and hopeful expectation together, how does that shape the way you meet challenges or delays in your life?

5. What personal or social attitudes might you, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, need to let go in order to deepen your trust in God’s timing in your life?