As the Church moves through the third week of Advent, her liturgy emphasizes the dual themes of joyful anticipation and penitential preparation. The readings for Feria II provide a rich tapestry of meditation on Christian suffering and the promise of divine consolation. Saint Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 and our Lord’s challenge in Matthew 16:24-27 offer profound insights into the mystery of the cross, as interpreted through the wisdom of the Church Fathers.
1. The God of All Consolation
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Saint Paul extols God as the “Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.” He reflects on how the sufferings Christians endure for Christ are accompanied by divine consolation, which equips them to console others. This mutual exchange of suffering and consolation mirrors the communal life of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.
The Church Fathers often remarked on this passage’s call to share in both the sufferings and comforts of Christ. St. John Chrysostom explains:
“God does not permit us to suffer for naught but allows us to endure trials that we may grow in virtue and be a source of comfort to others. For as fire tests gold, so too afflictions purify and strengthen the faithful, making them instruments of His grace.”
Advent, as a penitential season, provides an opportunity to embrace small sacrifices in union with Christ. The “consolation” Paul describes is not merely the easing of suffering but the transformative presence of God’s grace that imbues trials with meaning. St. Augustine captures this beautifully, saying:
“The measure of your comfort is the measure of your cross. When you suffer for Christ, know that His consolation surpasses the weight of your affliction, for His yoke is sweet, and His burden light.”
2. Taking Up the Cross
In the Gospel passage from Matthew 16:24-27, Christ issues a stark and challenging call to discipleship:
“If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
The Fathers consistently viewed this as a call to radical self-denial, seeing in it the essence of the Christian life. Origen writes:
“To take up the cross is to die to self-will and to the love of the world. It is to embrace willingly all that God wills for us, trusting in His providence even when the path is hard and the road dark.”
Christ’s invitation to “follow Me” is not merely a call to imitate His example but to participate in His redemptive mission. By taking up our cross, we are conformed to Him who suffered and died for our salvation. St. Cyril of Alexandria emphasizes this participation:
“The cross is the sign of victory, for through it Christ conquered death and opened the gates of heaven. To carry the cross, then, is not a defeat but a triumph—a sharing in the very life of Christ.”
3. The Eschatological Perspective
The Advent season draws us to look beyond the immediate challenges of life to the ultimate goal: eternal union with God. In Matthew 16:25, Christ declares:
“For whoever will save his life shall lose it, and whoever shall lose his life for My sake shall find it.”
This paradox underscores the eschatological hope of Advent. Earthly comforts and achievements pale in comparison to the surpassing glory of eternal life. St. Gregory the Great reminds us:
“He who clings to the fleeting pleasures of this world exchanges an eternal treasure for a passing trifle. To lose one’s life for Christ is to store up riches in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.”
The Fathers understood that this teaching demands a constant reorientation of our desires. St. Ambrose writes:
“Let us not be weighed down by the things of this earth but lift up our hearts to the heavenly kingdom, where Christ awaits us. By losing ourselves in Him, we find our true selves.”
4. A Marian Model of Consolation and Suffering
In this Advent season, we also turn our gaze to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who perfectly exemplifies the themes of these readings. As the Mother of Sorrows, she bore the greatest suffering imaginable—witnessing the Passion of her Son. Yet she also experienced the profound consolation of God’s promises, fulfilled in the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. St. Bernard of Clairvaux beautifully reflects on Mary’s role:
“She stood by the cross, not overcome by despair but strengthened by faith. Her suffering was great, but her consolation greater, for she trusted in the Lord’s promises.”
Mary teaches us to unite our trials to Christ with steadfast hope, a fitting meditation as we prepare to celebrate His Nativity.
Conclusion
The readings of this day remind us that suffering, while inevitable in the Christian life, is never meaningless. It is both a participation in the redemptive work of Christ and a path to deeper union with Him. As we approach Christmas, let us remember that the crib of Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary are inseparably linked. The Infant King, born into poverty and vulnerability, calls us to follow Him in self-denial, trust, and hope, confident that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
May the God of all consolation strengthen us to bear our crosses with courage and grant us the joy of His abiding presence. Amen.