In due time the true peace humankind longs for will prevail as people learn the ways of the Lord (Isaiah 2:1-5). Living in this hope means waiting prepared for the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37-44).

Swords into plowshares

Living during a turbulent period of political and religious decay, Isaiah of Jerusalem warned his countrymen that disaster awaited them if fidelity to God was not restored. Israel had fallen to Assyria (722 BC), and normal Judah sought protection in political alliances with foreign nations. The prophet pointed out to the people that covenant faithfulness would be their best safety; and their alliance with God demanded the eradication from their midst of all idolatry, dishonesty, greed and injustice. To convert his people back to God, Isaiah offered them his visions and oracles. 

Bolstering their hopes to escape from endless conflicts and carnage, he shared with them a vision of peace and unity encompassing all the nations of the world. The prophet did not imagine a future world without borders or distinct nationalities; international disputes would still occur, but war would no longer be the way to resolve them. Peoples “shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.”  

Walking in God’s paths

This eschatological vision of war-never-again would be because nations have submitted themselves to arbitration at Mount Zion. The universal role of God’s people was depicted in Jerusalem becoming the center of instruction where all would gather and learn the Torah, the law of the Lord. God Himself had revealed this way of life, the divine program of peace (shalom). With the Word of God coming forth from Zion, the mount of the temple, the peoples would know His ways and walk in His paths. The mount of the Lord’s House “shall stand firm above the mountains and tower above the hills; and all the nations shall gaze on it with joy.”

The vision is concerned with the ultimate, end-time events, not exactly a time during history, rather, that era after the end. No human program or effort is presented as capable to attain true and lasting peace; peace is a gift of God together with the life in accordance with the covenant. That is why it comes only after all the peoples of the earth have learned the ways of the Lord.  

Being prepared for a surprise

Matthew undertook to present Jesus as the realization of Judaism and the hope of the world. As new wineskins or vehicles of expression for the new wine of faith in Jesus, he reinterpreted and utilized old traditions to project the faith of Christians that, for instance, the second coming of Jesus would bring to fulfillment what He had begun in the incarnation and in His ministry. That is why vigilance is of primary importance. The time we do not know, but whenever that may be, we should be ready to receive him.

Certain but unpredictable, the coming of the Son of Man is depicted in three short parables colored in details borrowed from Jewish apocalyptic tradition. First, the legendary Noah story pictures the preoccupation with the affairs of everyday life that led the people to be surprised by the flood and perished. Believers, too, may be so caught up with the pursuits of earning a living, raising a family or making a career that they could become fatally dulled in their expectation of Christ’s return. Second, pairs of workers who, at a distance, may look alike and be indistinguishable at the coming of the Son of Man will be judged, one as worthy and the other as unworthy. Everything is not the same; there will be a final assessment and judgment. Third, the figure of the night burglar, the unwelcome guest every prudent homeowner prepares for. Wisdom tells the Christian waiting for Christ’s final coming and judgment to be in constant state of alertness. 

Alálaong bagá, as the new liturgical year begins with the First Sunday of Advent, we still remember the old year just ended with the image of Christ the King who, in His throne on the cross, gave the assurance of salvation to the criminal expiring at His side. Advent is focusing on the return and glorious manifestation of our King even as we take the road toward what must come here and now in terms of living our faith. The future is not an illusion but a task. It is the fulfillment of God’s plan; it is founded on our present attentiveness to His Word. Under His universal rule, peoples assemble in peace, and implements of war and death are refashioned into instruments of life and progress. When nuclear silos are emptied of their destruction and filled with grain for the world’s hungry, when the goods hoarded by a few become available for the needs of the many, then we know we have become alerted to the only future in peace and love that is the survival of this earth. Then we have become vigilant and ready for the fullness of the One who is Life. 

For more of my reflections and works, visit my blogsite: http://alalaongbaga.multiply.com.

THIS week, there have been several venues for discussing the future of the Philippine economy, as the national income accounts reports for the third quarter are being released; as the exporters, representing one of the main planks of economic growth, are continuing their agitation for government intervention as they reel under the impact of an appreciating peso; and as the agriculture sector leads in the observance of National Biotechnology Week.

With close to half of the world’s economic output coming from knowledge and its management, managing intellectual-property (IP) assets is the most important task for any individual, corporation or country.

There is no question that the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) has been a big pain in the neck recently with all its yo-yo-like action. One day, prices follow the movement in New York; the next day the PSE ignores the world trend. Individual issues that were rocket chips for a couple of weeks suddenly looked like they were going to sleep.

Tax Law for Business: Within, beyond scope of Letter of Authority

Due to the number of assessments and tax-audit investigations being cancelled on account of the taxpayers’ availment of the tax-amnesty program, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) began issuing new letters of authority (LA) for the examination of taxpayers’ books of accounts and accounting records for the taxable years 2006 and 2007.

Swords into plowshares

Living during a turbulent period of political and religious decay, Isaiah of Jerusalem warned his countrymen that disaster awaited them if fidelity to God was not restored. 

Even amid a skyline jammed with massive construction projects, the Burj Dubai is a standout.

In September, it beat the 31-year-old record held by the CN Tower in Toronto to become the world’s tallest freestanding structure. When it’s completed in 2008, Dubai’s tower will be the tallest building in every category and home to one of Giorgio Armani’s first hotels.

For a culture that runs on credit, this has been a year in which millions of vehicles have been stranded on the side of the road.

Sparked by a mortgage crisis caused by the housing bust, lenders are sorting out the “haves” and “have-nots” as the industry retrenches. So now is the time to tune up your record so that you have ample access to credit for the holiday season.