ADVENT WEEK 01 04 – Yr I

Doing the Will of God – Memorial, St. Ambrose

(Isaiah 26:1-6; Ps 118; Mt 7:21, 24-27)

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“Only the ones who do the will of my Father in heaven will enter the kingdom of God.”

Jesus could not be clearer or more direct than this teaching: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my father in Heaven.” The key to entering the kingdom of God, therefore, is very simply doing the will of the Father.

The Gospel and the first reading actually form a pattern for us to follow: we must trust God, listen to the Word of God, know the will of God and do the will of God especially by caring for the poor.

The will of the Father is quite simple: keep the Great Commandment to love God and others as we love ourselves; to love others as Jesus has loved us; to live the Beatitudes, and even to love our enemies.

To make the will of God even simpler, in Galatians St Paul boils it all down to one sentence: “Love others as you love yourself.” On this, he says, “hang all the laws and the prophets.” This is the bible boiled down to one sentence: love others as you love yourself.

Daoud sharing in a cave meeting

One person who is doing this is Daoud, a member of the Tent of the Nations farm in the Holy Land. Oppressed by the Jewish settlers all around who are trying to steal their land from them by any means they can, including dumping boulders on their driveway; cutting down 200 of their olive trees; refusing them running water, building permits and electricity, they refuse to retaliate. Instead, they live peacefully in 7 operational caves on their property.

TOTN blocked driveway

Meeting in one of these caves, Daoud explained why to us, a group of participants in the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem. He said that forgiveness is not the core of neither Islam or of Judaism, but it is the core of Christianity. Therefore, they have two mottos they live by: one is “We refuse to be enemies,” and the other is, “We refuse to hate.” And so, they refuse to retaliate, but rather respond by inviting international observers to live with them, teaching and learning creatively. He was quite upbeat when speaking to us, and it seemed to us, had not a bitter bone in his body. Here was a man, actually, a Christian family, who knew the will of God, and was keeping it.

Another example for us is St. Ambrose whom we honor today. He was born into the aristocracy in Trier Germany, about 340 and served the powerful Roman Empire. His is quite an unusual story. As governor, he intervened in a dispute over the election of the bishop of Milan. Although he was only a catechumen, the laity were so impressed by his acumen and trustworthiness that they elected him as bishop. He hesitated at first, but later was baptized and ordained. Ambrose became a remarkable preacher and teacher of the faith. His most famous student was Augustine of Hippo, whom he baptized. Ambrose died in 397. In 1298, he was declared one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church (with Jerome, Augustine and Gregory I).

May the Eucharist we celebrate now strengthen us to follow the example of Daoud, his family and St. Ambrose: trust God, listen to God’s Word, know the will of God and do the will of God especially by caring for the poor, as the key of entering the kingdom of heaven.