Today is Dec. 1, the First Sunday of Advent.
In the readings for today’s Mass, we read, “The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: ‘The LORD our justice'” (Jer 33:14-16).
In Advent, we anticipate the coming of Christ, both his historical birth in Bethlehem and his future coming in glory. Jeremiah’s prophecy stirs us to hope and reminds us that God fulfills his promises in ways that surpass human expectations. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “The coming of God’s Son to earth is an event of such immensity that God willed to prepare for it over centuries” (No. 522). This Advent, we are invited to wait in joyful expectation, with the assurance that God’s promises are always fulfilled in his perfect time.
For centuries, Israel awaited the arrival of a Savior, a descendant of David who would bring justice and peace. This prophecy points us to the Messiah who, born in Bethlehem, came not in grandeur but in poverty and simplicity. It is through the Child of Bethlehem that God’s promise of justice and righteousness is brought to life.
A promise to Israel and Judah: Raising up a just shoot
“I will raise up for David a just shoot,” says Jeremiah; “he shall do what is right and just in the land” (Jer 33:15). Jeremiah’s foretelling of a coming “just shoot” refers to God’s promise to raise up a descendant of David who will bring justice and righteousness to the land. This promise is rooted in God’s covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16, where God tells David, “I will raise up your offspring after you … and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” Jesus fulfills this covenant as a descendant of David whose kingdom is not of this world.
The promise of safety for Judah and Jerusalem in this passage from Jeremiah reveals God’s desire for his people to dwell in peace. Psalm 122 echoes this longing as the psalmist prays, “May peace be within your ramparts, prosperity within your towers.” In a special way this Advent, throughout our spiritual pilgrimage, we will be praying each day for peace in the Holy Land, longing for the world to know the peace of Christ.
Let us pray,
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
