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Homily 2nd Sunday of Advent C: “PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD, MAKE STRAIGHT HIS PATHS.”

2nd Sunday of Advent C:
“PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD, MAKE STRAIGHT HIS PATHS.”

OUTLINE

  1. Summary of ideas of this Sunday’s readings
  1. Prepre the way for the Lord by making straight his paths: Advent, a call to conversion and Confession
  2. Advent, a call to judge and use rightly the things of this world so as to perceive God’s saving message.

1. Summary of ideas of this Sunday’s readings

The 2nd Sunday of Advent presents to us the figure of St. John the Baptist, the precursor of the Messiah, preaching a Baptism of conversion for the forgiveness of sins, and thereby fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, stated in today’s Gospel:

  • “A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Lk 3:4

Advent is, hence, a time of conversion, during which we prepare ourselves interiorly so that when Our Lord comes, he would find us clean and irreprochable, as taught in the 2nd Reading (Phil 1:4–6, 8–11):

  • “And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”

It is the time to experience God’s mercy, which makes us cherish his splendor, leaving behind the darkness and misery caused by our sins, as prophesied by Baruch in the 1st reading:

  • “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God, bear on your head the mitre that displays the glory of the eternal name. For God will show all the earth your splendor: you will be named by God forever the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship.”

Hence, we could sing in the Responsorial Psalm: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”

2. Prepare the way for the Lord by making straight his paths: Advent, a call to conversion and Confession

God comes to save us and we have to remove all those things in our life which impede this advent (God’s coming and indwelling in our soul) which we hope for and which will bring forth “new heavens and new earth” (2 Pt 3:8–14).
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out…But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
During these days, we must employ the means to approach God, undergoing a spiritual conversion:

  • By turning away from sin, repenting for them and asking God’s forgiveness;
  • By making “straight his paths;”
  • And by conducting “ourselves in in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God;”

all these by going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession, so as to receive God’s pardon and mercy, and be able to worthily relive the Mystery of the Son of God who became man so that we might become children of God.

3. Advent, a call to judge and use rightly the things of this world to perceive God’s saving message.

Let us then be vigilant so that no earthly undertaking may hinder us who set out in haste to meet Our Lord Jesus Christ.
For this, we must put distance ̶ as signified by the “desert” in the Gospel ̶ between us and the mundane things and worldly attitude in this life if we wish to perceive and live God’s saving message, as expressed in the opening prayer and the prayer after Communion.
“Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet your Son, but may our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us admittance to his company.”
“Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment, we humbly beseech you, O Lord, that, through our partaking in this mystery, you may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth and hold firm to the things of heaven.”
A Blessed Advent to all! Fr. Rolly Arjonillo.

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