Today,
on the Second Sunday of Advent, the emphasis begins to shift from the Lord’s
final coming in glory to his coming in human flesh. Every year, on this day, as
preparation for Christmas, the Church leads us on pilgrimage to the
Jordan River, so that we might enroll in the school of John
the Baptist, hear his message, and put it into action in our lives. At
first glance, it seems like a strange choice to meet him at the Jordan. But the
reason why the Church always visits John at the Jordan
is because he was the one chosen by God the Father from all eternity to get His
people ready to receive His Son, who was already walking toward the Jordan River to inaugurate his public ministry. The
Gospel Reading of today from St. Mark presents John the Baptist as our model
for Advent preparation; he is the precursor who announced the Lord's coming
and who prepared the people by preaching them “the baptism of repentance for
the forgiveness of sins.”
Scripture lessons: The first reading, taken from the prophet Isaiah,
tells us about the Babylonian exiles coming home to their native country, Judah, and their holy city, Jerusalem. Isaiah assures his people
that the Lord will lead them in a grand procession to their homeland and take
care of them as a shepherd cares for his sheep. The Responsorial psalm
describes how shalom or perfect peace is coming home with the Lord’s
coming. The second reading, taken from the second letter of Peter,
invites us to get ready to go home to Heaven with Jesus at his second
coming. Peter tells those who doubt the
second coming of Jesus that God’s way of counting time is different from ours
and that God has His own reasons for delaying Christ’s second coming.
Event: In
December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in
getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they
telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually
flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to the
editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and
said, "How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas." He totally
missed the big news – man had flown! Many of us are thrilled at the gifts,
food and festivities of the holiday season, ignoring the fact
that Christ’s birth is the true reason for this “holiday season,” and that
these are HOLY DAYS intended to give Jesus a homecoming by bringing him
into our hearts and daily lives.
Joke: A
man who thought he was John the Baptist was disturbing the neighborhood. So for
public safety, he was forcefully taken to the psychiatric ward of a hospital.
He was put in a room with another crazy patient. He immediately began his
routine, “I am John the Baptist! The Lord has sent me as the forerunner of
Christ the Messiah!” The other guy
looked at him and declared, “I am the Lord your God. I did not send you!”
Practical Applications: 1) He is coming into our lives, if we let Him. We have to
prepare for Him. Christmas is the celebration of love. It is a celebration of
the Love that God the Father has for us to send us His Son. It is the
celebration of the love we have for each other, manifested externally in gifts,
but only as reflections of the love within each of us. For a gift given out of
necessity is not a gift of love, it is just an obligation of a season. God the
Father gave us a Gift of Love. We need to return this Gift to Him by giving our
deep love to each other.
2) We
are invited by the Church to prepare for Christmas by repenting of our sins and
renewing our lives so that Jesus may be reborn in us. Let us ask with Alexander
Pope the challenging question, “What do I profit, if Jesus is born in thousands
of cribs all over the world unless he is born in my heart and in my life?” We
should allow Jesus to be reborn in our lives.
People around us should recognize Jesus’ rebirth in our lives by our
sharing love, unconditional forgiveness, compassionate and merciful heart and
spirit of humble and committed service. Let us accept the challenge of John the
Baptist to turn this advent season into a real spiritual homecoming by making
the necessary preparations for the fresh arrival of our Lord and Savior Jesus
into our hearts and lives.
Second Sunday of Advent :
Introduction
Message: As we await new heavens and a new earth, let us make
clear the way of the Lord by being servants of Justice, truth and peace.
Saints and Events in this week: 8 – Eighth –
Monday – The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patronal Feast
Day of the United States of America; Holy day of Obligation in USA; 9 – Ninth –
Tuesday – Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin; 11 – Eleventh – Saint Damasus I,
Pope; 12 – Friday – Our Lady of Guadalupe; 13 – Thirteenth – Saturday – Saint
Lucy, Virgin, Martyr;
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