[Image credit: Didier Descouens]

There are important figures of prophets who mark the great time of Advent such as Isaiah and John the Baptist. The image of the prophet John the Baptist, of the one who cries in the desert, is the image of a prophet not listened to. The word he proclaims, the word of God, resonates in deserted places, in empty places. It is a painful experience that the prophet goes through.

An experience shared by the Psalmist in these terms: “Oh! if my people would listen to me! if Israel walked in my ways! » (Ps 81:13) and shared even by the prophet per excellence Jesus Christ: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you, how often have I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you didn’t want it! » (Mt 23:37).

The refusal to hear the Word of God is a huge challenge for our society today. Man is in search of words that comfort him in his apprehensions rather than words that shake him up and above all, words that sometimes call him and challenge him to radical change. St. Paul’s prophecy in this sense is fully realized in our current era when he says: “there will come a time when men will no longer want to know anything about authentic teaching.

Under the influence of their desires and to satisfy their lusts, they will choose a crowd of masters, they will run from doctrine to doctrine according to their fancy. Having the itch to hear words that pleasantly tickle their ears. They will increasingly turn away from the truth and fall back on myths. » (2 Timothy : 4:3-4).

This dramatic choice of man is leading our society to ruin. What is this society that no longer has reference points, that no longer has a voice that whispers in the ear of conscience to constantly remind it of its major role which not only is to discern good from evil, but also and above all to make the radical choice of good ? The big tragedy of our current humanity is that the prophets have remained silent.

Fr. Donald ZAGORE, SMA