Awaiting New Heavens and a New Earth

Mark 1:1-8  “A voice of one crying out in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord” –  today the Holy Spirit is saying to us in the desert our world is living in and here on this little hill site in the hill country – prepare the way of the Lord – for us that is not just a phrase that had meaning two thousand years ago, but today the Holy Spirit is saying to us prepare the way of the Lord – St. John Paul said the world and the Church today is living a new Advent – a new time of preparation for the coming of the Lord – Liturgical time of Advent we live each year is especially important to form us, today – form us for what the Lord wants to tell us, today – it is one of the main reasons for the little Mission of Divine Mercy – a little voice in the desert crying out prepare the way of the Lord – this focus is a little bit shocking if you look at the holiday spirit because our world is living is not so much Christmas preparation, but is holiday spirit – the readings today are shocking, because they are so different – I want to focus on the second reading from St. Peter, ( 2 Peter 3:8-14) – he is talking about people who scoff and say nothing ever changes – St. Peter writes in verse 3:3-4, “ First of all you must understand this, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing following their own passions and saying, where is the promise that He is coming for ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.” – so basically nothing ever changes – St. Peter reminds us there have been events that are very unexpected – not according to the way things go and have changed everything – a great example the Holy Spirit gives is of the Great Deluge at the time of Noah – more than Peter saying that… it is the Holy Spirit saying this world that existed was deluged with water – in this area… in the hill country, we know effects of flash flooding, but this is beyond any comparison to that – he is talking about that event that changed everything – but then he is also speaking of a future event he says by the same word, the word of God – the heavens and the earth – here the heavens he is speaking about is not the heavens where the saints draw, but the way the angels spoke of it, what we would call the sky, space or cosmos, universe – the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored for fire – being kept until the day of judgement – he reminds of something important about the day of judgement…he says judgement and destruction of ungodly men – that is precisely what judgement does…judgement is to discern what is just to give people what is just whether reward or punishment according to what they deserve – Jesus gives us the Parable of the shepherd of separating the sheep on his right and the goats on his left – on the day of judgement all of the injustice disappears, because the judge judges and makes distinction – St. Peter just said in the chapter right before this…(giving an example of how God in these great moments of crisis can save those who trust in Him) – speaking of the time of Noah…he says the Lord knows how to rescue the Godly from trial – not rescue everyone from trial – to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement – gives the example of Noah, when almost everyone was drowned except Noah and his household…those who listened to God and those who were faithful to God – in the midst of this disaster God knew how to save those who were faithful – he also gives the example of when Sodom and Gomorra were punished, but Lot and his household except his wife were saved – the point is God knows how to save those who listen, trust, have faith and obey Him in great moments of destruction – for those who trust in Him these are not things to fear – St. Paul said far from fearing them we should wait for them  – wait for this day for when justice finally comes – but if we are waiting for it we might say, why is it taking so long – he speaks about that – 2^nd Peter 3: 8 “ but, do not ignore this one fact beloved, that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day – the Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness.”  if we are waiting for His promises, they do seem very slow – he explains the Lord is forbearing for you, the Lord is patient for you – not wishing that any should perish – that all should reach repentance – and so what seems as delay is the Lord’s patience – to give opportunity for conversion a time of mercy – God doesn’t want anyone to perish…a time of conversion – 2^nd Peter 3:10 “ but, the day of the Lord will come like a thief, then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise and the elements will be dissolved with fire and the earth and works that are upon it will be burned up.”  – terrible for the unjust, but for those who trust in the Lord who take refuge in Him, it is the passage into the new heavens and new earth – this new heavens and new earth is something Isaiah 65 spoke about, “ For behold the Lord says I create new heavens and a new earth…the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind – all that was old and corrupted by sin will disappear, but be glad and rejoice forever in that, which I created, for behold I create Jerusalem and rejoice and her people a joy.”  Jerusalem represents the new people of God, the Church – so this will be a time of everlasting joy for all of God’s people – He will free His people from all sin and all wounds of sin – so He can rejoice in His people…no more can be heard the sound of weeping, the cry of distress – you can read Isiah 65 the rest of this beautiful description of new heavens and of new earth  – so new earth, He says they shall not destroy in all My holy mountain says the Lord – St. Paul says… for creation waits with eager longing  for revealing of the sons of God – because creation itself will be set free from its bondage from decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God – creation itself we are living in with all of the problems has been affected by sin – diseases, natural disasters and all the sin that is in our world – he doesn’t say creation will be destroyed – he said it will be set free from its bondage – this fire will be a purifying fire a transforming fire a fire of judgement, but also a fire of God’s powerful love – a fire of the Holy Spirit, which will set our creation free from its bondage – it will obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God – what will this new earth be like –if the earth we are living in right now can be beautiful, what will this new earth be like – the apostle John has a vision of this new creation coming down to earth, in the book of Revelations – in which all mankind follows Jesus – the Church follows Jesus in this path of suffering and purification and death to rising to a new life – St. Peter says then how should we live – since all of these things are to be dissolved that everything  we hold onto here are going to pass away – so that is what we should hold onto – but he also is not inviting people to panic or fear – or live a life of despair – what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and Godliness – it isn’t something we should be afraid of, but longing for – something even more than longing for but hasten God’s coming – we can make it come sooner by our response – hastening the coming of the day of God – as we live in this world where sin is so powerful, He is inviting us to hope, which is waiting for and hastening the day of God – that is part of this little mission is to help be a part of waiting for and hastening the day of God – this Advent is a time we are invited to live especially with our Blessed Mother – this week we have the great feast of the Immaculate Conception – and Our Lady of Guadalupe coming up – she who prepared the first coming of the Lord is present in our world, today preparing His return – the New Advent – St. Peter in the same letter says, speaking of importance of prophesy –( because this is not something that human knowledge by itself can know, that is why prophetic messages are so important and those of you that know the Mission of Divine Mercy know that an important part of our mission is to help renew the sense of prophesy)  St. Peter says, we have the prophetic word  made more sure.  You will do well to pay attention to this as a lamp shining in a dark place.  This world is often a dark place, but the prophetic words are lamps shining in a dark place – until the day dawns and morning star rises in your hearts – these dark times we living, the prophetic word is given to us – the prophetic word from scripture- and prophetic words the Lord continues to give throughout history to the Church…like to St. Faustina, Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe, also the prophetic word today the Lord continues to speak to His people, today as a light the lamp in a dark place – in that darkness it can be very discouraging – all that people can see happening in the world and Church – that discouragement is dangerous, because we can doubt and despair…we can give up – so that’s why prophetic words are so important…like the ones we hear from St. Peter, today – we need to focus on it – not just to be listening to all of the junk on the media so to discourage and all of the lies – ( the secular media can’t tell us, when the Lord is coming…only God knows that) – we need to have our eyes focused on these prophetic words – so this Advent is a time to not be distracted or discouraged by all of the stuff we are hearing – all of the human opinions – a lot of it is distorted and a lot of it is lies – but to focus on the prophetic word of God, as this lamp giving us the light of God in these times – end with a prophetic passage from Isaiah, “ For behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.  Be glad and rejoice forever in that, which I created for behold I create Jerusalem.”  Jerusalem again is speaking of the Church…the Church which we see is in a terrible crisis and corruption…weakened and distorted, today.  He says, “ I create Jerusalem I rejoice in her people adjourned.”  With our Blessed Mother pray, Come Lord Jesus…Maranatha…come Lord Jesus.