Advent: Eyes Unveiled, Hearts Led

Advent places us in a world of questions. We wait for a promise that is near and yet not fully seen, and we learn to sit honestly with the question that was thrown at Jesus: “By what authority are you doing these things?” The readings today invite a journey from suspicion to trust, from calculation to surrender, and from muddled vision to unveiled sight.

Eyes Unveiled: Learning to See What God Sees

Balaam’s oracle gives us a remarkable Advent image: he speaks as “one who sees what the Almighty sees,” and then whispers of a figure glimpsed at the edge of history; “a star” that will rise from Jacob, a ruler’s “staff” from Israel. Advent is about cultivating this kind of sight. We do not invent hope; we receive it, like a distant starlight that predates our noticing.

Balaam also likens Israel to “gardens beside a stream” and “cedars” planted by the Lord. These are images of rootedness and resilience. In a time when life can feel like survival in a desert; rushed schedules, doom-scrolling, economic pressure, and fragile relationships; the promise is not of instant escape but of plantedness: to be watered, steadied, and made fruitful where we are. The star signals direction; the staff signals care. Christ comes as guiding light and shepherding presence.

Truth Without Evasion: The Authority of Jesus

In the Gospel, religious leaders press Jesus for his credentials. He refuses a trap, not out of evasiveness, but to unmask their own. He links his authority to their response to John’s call to repentance. This is an unsettling spiritual principle: authority in Christ is recognized not merely by argument but by a heart turned towards God. Repentance, therefore, is not a prelude we rush through; it is how our eyes become clear.

The leaders fear the crowd more than they love the truth, so they retreat into “We do not know.” How often do similar calculations steer our choices? Career prudence over integrity; curated online identities over honest vulnerability; silence when courage would cost us. Advent invites a different fear; the holy reverence that frees us from the crowd’s verdict and makes us available to God’s.

Christ’s authority is unlike the noise of our age. He does not coerce. He questions, he heals, he calls to conversion, and he serves. His is the authority of a life in perfect union with the Father, verified in deeds and confirmed on the cross. Where we see posturing, he embodies truth in love. Where we see power plays, he reveals the rule of mercy.

“Teach Me Your Ways”: The Humble Path

Psalm 25 gives us the Advent posture: “Teach me your ways.” God “guides the humble to justice.” The humble are not timid; they are teachable. They are grounded enough to be led and courageous enough to be changed. Humility reorients our intelligence toward wisdom, our zeal toward charity, and our plans toward God’s timing. It restores a childlike readiness: willing to learn, willing to turn back, willing to begin again.

This matters in ordinary life. Teachability shows up as apologizing quickly, asking better questions than we give answers, seeking counsel when we’d rather isolate, and choosing the slow work of virtue over the rush of image management. It looks like trusting God’s pace even when progress feels hidden; especially then.

From Star to Staff: Practices for the Week

• Make one concrete act of obedience to the Gospel you’ve been postponing: forgive someone, set a boundary, reconcile, or return to a neglected responsibility.
• Enter repentance. If possible, plan for confession; if not, make an honest examination at night. Ask where fear of others has outweighed reverence for God.
• Pray Psalm 25 briefly throughout the day: “Teach me your ways.” Let this be a breath prayer in moments of stress or decision.
• Audit your influences. What voices shape your judgments; news feeds, peers, anxieties? Replace one unhelpful input with a steady source of truth (daily Scripture, spiritual reading, a trusted mentor).
• Serve someone quietly. Authority in Christ is recognized in love. Share your time or resources with no expectation of being seen.
• Keep watch in silence. Set a few minutes of unhurried stillness daily. Ask for “eyes unveiled” to perceive where the Star is guiding you right now.

Healing Our Mistrust: Holiness and Credibility

Our era struggles with authority, often for good reason: sins and failures have wounded trust. The Gospel does not bypass this pain; it purifies it. Christ’s authority heals by returning us to first things: repentance, truthfulness, and service. Institutions regain credibility by sanctity, transparency, and real care for the least. Households do, too. So do friendships. Authority that kneels to wash feet becomes believable again.

We can participate in this healing. Start small: practice consistency between what you profess and what you do, especially in hidden places. Seek reconciliation where your words and actions have diverged. Let mercy; not outrage; be your method. The Church becomes more credible every time a believer chooses holiness over posturing, service over self-advancement, and truth over convenience.

Living Under the Star

Advent trains the heart to recognize Jesus’ gentle but unyielding authority. He does not answer every challenge with explanations; sometimes he answers with a question that reopens the soul. Balaam’s star still rises over our uncertainties. The shepherd’s staff still steadies our steps. If we consent to be taught; if we choose repentance and humility; then our lives, like gardens beside a stream, begin to flourish in ways argument alone could never produce.

May we welcome the One who teaches sinners the way, guides the humble to justice, and leads us from fear of the crowd to the freedom of the children of God. Under his light, our questions do not disappear; they are transfigured into a path.