Today is Dec. 6, Friday of the First Week of Advent.
We hear in the readings at Mass today, “For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will have gone; All who are alert to do evil will be cut off, those whose mere word condemns a man, who ensnare his defender at the gate, and leave the just man with an empty claim” (Is 29:20-21).
The marketplace of Bethlehem would have been bustling with activity, a gathering place where merchants sold their wares, neighbors exchanged news, and travelers prepared for their journeys. It was here, in the ordinary hum of daily life, that Mary and Joseph arrived, seeking shelter on the eve of Christ’s birth. As heaven prepared to meet earth in a nearby stable, the marketplace, so full of human concerns, unknowingly became an intersection marked by God’s providence.
Isaiah’s words about the downfall of tyrants and those who exploit others remind us of the human ambition and pride — the pursuit of wealth, status and influence — often found in such places. Yet the Child born in Bethlehem offers a different vision: one where justice reigns and the humble are lifted up. The shadows of the schemes and plans of tyrants and the arrogant are cast out by the light of the kingdom Christ comes to establish.
Be attentive to the quiet movements of grace
Bethlehem’s marketplace invites us to reflect on our own daily dealings. Are we attentive to do what is right, or do we allow pride, self-interest or indifference to shape our actions? Do we see Christ in those who labor, those who struggle or those who seem forgotten amid the noise of life? The Advent promise assures us that the unjust structures of this world will not last. The tyrant will fall, and the just will find their vindication — not by human strength, but by the power of God’s justice.
As we walk through the marketplaces of our lives — our workplaces, our friendships, our responsibilities — we are called to live differently. Advent challenges us to resist the arrogance and injustice Isaiah condemns and instead to be attentive to the quiet movements of grace. In Bethlehem’s marketplace, where the noise of commerce drowned out the quiet arrival of the Savior, we are reminded to keep watch for Christ in the ordinary.
Let us pray,
Stir up your power, we pray, O Lord, and come, that with you to protect us, we may find rescue
from the pressing dangers of our sins, and with you to set us free, we may be found worthy of salvation. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
