2nd Week of Advent (A) : Saturday 10th December 2022

The colourful, exciting language used about Elijah
is a measure of the hope he aroused in the hearts of
faithful members of the Chosen People. His fiery
preaching brought about a restoration of faith and
loyalty to God. His spectacular departure raised hopes
that he would come back to finish the job he had started.

In today’s Gospel, Peter, James and John saw Jesus
in glory. As they descended the mountain with Jesus,
they wanted Him to tell them when the glory of the
Kingdom of Heaven would be established. They were
presuming that it would have some connection with the
“return” of Elijah. Jesus told them, however, that the
glory of the Kingdom had already been established. It
had been established by His very coming into the world,
particularly when His public mission had started. He
implied that John the Baptist was the Elijah they had
been expecting.

As time went by, even with Jesus’ consoling and
strengthening presence, the disciples probably ruefully
accepted that the Kingdom would not be as exciting and
glorious as they had expected. It was, however, there
with them. It is with us now when we say and do by the
grace of Jesus, and at his behest, when we bring
happiness to the world, which will attract people to the
joy and glory of the final, definitive Kingdom of
Heaven.

Heavenly Father, may I, in my own simple way, be
a herald and a pointer to Your Kingdom. Amen.