Year C – Second Sunday of Advent

As we enter deeper into Advent the call is to keep hoping in the Lord and believing that God will come and change our lives. What prevents us from discovering and finding God is often our refusal to look beyond the present troubles and trials that depress us. The darkest hour is the hour before dawn but we have to wait expectantly. His coming is as sure as the dawn! May His Word renew our hope.

An anonymous author wrote today’s portion of the Book of Baruch around 200 B.C. probably in Alexandria for the Jews living there who had a problem keeping their faith in God. Their temple was far away and they had no hope of returning. They were living amidst a culture completely opposed to their own religious beliefs and they were finding it difficult to be faithful to Yahweh. Added to that, the pagan culture and their prosperity were very attractive and it was tempting to give up their faith. Baruch tells them not to give up their faith, not to give up on God. “Stop moaning and groaning, don’t wallow in your depression! Cast off your moaning robes and cheer up; your God is coming to help you. You came here in shame dragged by your enemies but God will carry you back.”

The situation of the Israelites could very well be our own right now. We live in pagan times where the philosophy of life is: Forget God! He is not interested in you! Just live for today and enjoy your life because there is nothing beyond tomorrow. Often when confronted with our personal problems we are wont to slip into depression, tempted to forget the values we cherished and the God we believe in. Some people will taunt us: “Look at so-and-so; she does not bother about God, she observes no laws and she’s blessed with all that she wants in this life! You pray to God but what has God done for you?” Today’s reading reminds us that God is doing something for us. He is ready to level mountains and fill up valleys so that we might walk safely out of the mess we are in. In the midst of darkness he will bring light; in our brokenness he will bring healing if only we look up to him.

Broken voices bring healing

Last night I listened to voices in a small room, that were not the best trained. They belonged to ex-criminals and other convicts who had spent time in jail. But as they sang there were tears in the eyes of their leader, an old man. Slowly his worried face looked up to God and he smiled. I knew why he had that troubled look. He had just heard that his eldest son had a tumour in his stomach which had been diagnosed as malignant. They had operated but the doctors had not been successful in removing the cancerous growth. The old man knew that his son was dying. Those around him were ones he had counseled over the years and helped in rehabilitating after they had been released from jail. They also felt his sorrow, and so with broken untrained voices they sang to him. Those songs made him remember that even in this hour of trial he could look up to God, and he did and he smiled. Those voices had managed to do what no trained voice could have ever done..! -Anonymous

In the second reading Paul sounds a note of hope. “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.” We are accustomed to half measures and to experiences of incompletion, but God always brings to fulfillment the good work he has begun in us. Paul prays for his listeners that while God is at work in them they might live pure and blameless lives, guided always by love.

Today’s gospel begins with a description of the political situation of the times. It is not an easy time for the Jews, the Romans were taskmasters and oppressed them and made unreasonable demands on them. The Jews were fed up and longed for a Messiah who would rescue them from Roman tyranny. Yet this very hopeless situation was also the context of hope and repentance. The person proclaiming this message of hope was John the Baptist. John the Baptist was a sign, everything about him was a sign and he was pointing to the imminent coming of the Lord. He was not the promised one. He was the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

The reading reminds us that our preparation for the coming of the Lord is a two-way process. On the one hand we are reminded in the first reading that God himself will make the first move, he will level the mountains and fill the valleys so that we might come back unhurt. On the other hand ours is not a passive hopeless waiting. We have to play our part and open ourselves to his coming into our lives. For some of us it might imply knocking off the mountains of pride, for others it might be filling up the emptiness of our lives with good works, for still others it might mean giving up crooked ways and walking straight along the path of truth. The present times might be difficult times for us but there are, in these very upsetting times, signs of his coming. Are we able to read the signs of his coming? Can we listen to the voice in the wilderness crying out? To be able to listen we have to believe, we have to hope and we have to be open to the God who comes in surprising ways into our lives. Let the one who has ears listen.

Do you hear the music?

Have you heard the story of the dancers who had no music? Can you imagine how hard that would be? Dancing with no music? Day after day they came to the great hall just off the corner of Main and Broadway. They brought their wives. They brought their husbands. They brought their children and their hopes. They came to dance. The hall was prepared for a dance. Streamers strung, punch bowls filled. Chairs were placed against the walls. People arrived and sat, knowing they had come to a dance but not knowing how to dance because they had no music. They had balloons; they had cake. They even had a stage on which the musicians could play, but they had no musicians. Some tried to dance without the music. One wife convinced her husband to give it a try, so out on the floor they stepped, she dancing her way and he dancing his. Both efforts were commendable-but far from compatible. Over time, however, the dancers grew weary and everyone resumed the task of sitting and staring and wondering if anything was ever going to happen. And then one day it did. Not everyone saw him enter, only a few. Nothing about his appearance would compel your attention. His looks were common, but his music was not. He began to sing a song, soft and sweet, kind and compelling. His song took the chill out of the air and brought a summer-sunset glow to the heart. And as he sang, people stood-a few at first, then many-and they began to dance together. Flowing to a music they had never heard before, they danced. Some, however, remained seated. What kind of musician is this who never mounts the stage? Who brings no band? Who has no costume? Why, musicians don’t just walk in off the street. They have an entourage, a reputation, a persona to project and protect. Why, this fellow scarcely mentioned his name! “How can we know what you sing is actually music?” they challenged. His reply was to the point: “Let the man who has ears to hear use them.” But the non-dancers refused to hear. So they refused to dance. Many still refuse. The musician comes and sings. Some dance. Some don’t. The musician gives the same appeal: “Let the man who has ears to hear use them.” Let God have you, and let God love you-and don’t be surprised if your heart begins to hear music you’ve never heard and your feet learn to dance as never before. Max Lucado from ‘Just Like Jesus’

Lord, help us to wait with hope and eagerness for your coming!

The second Sunday of Advent brings to us the invitation to “change”. Calling each one of us ‘for a new situation.’ If we pay close attention this morning to the liturgy, it is going to make s aware that we need to change. A change is going to take place and we are called to make that change. For this change; we need to reflect and repent. Let us do this as we begin our Holy Eucharist.

For change to take place we need to ‘bid farewell to lame excuses’.

Once in a camp, 9 soldiers received overnight passes. In the morning none of them were present, they all came in late.

The 1st one said this to the officer: I am sorry, I had a date, lost track of time, missed the last bus. Wanted to come back and so took a taxi, half way through the car broke down, then brought a horse. The horse suddenly fell to the ground and died, so had to come walking all the way.

The 2nd to the 8th all gave the same excuse.

The 9th soldier had this to say: date and so lost track of time, missed the last bus, hired a taxi, …. The officer stopped him and said ‘wait a minute, are you going to tell me the cab broke down? No sir, the taxi was fine, problem was there were so many dead horses on the road and so couldn’t get through!!!

Excuses are as old as the human race.

Today John the Baptist reminds us not to make lame excuses, but to repent and renew our lives, so that we will be able to receive the Messiah in our hearts and lives.

The readings today invites us to do this: call to change and make the change. Change we can.

John the Baptist is shouting and crying out in the DESERT. He is asking and calling people to change their ways (not cosmetic make over) but completely (metanoia). To stop going in our own direction and move towards God.

Desert is a place where nothing happens, could be lost too. However, biblically a rich symbol. Desert important role for the Jews- an escape route for Egyptians slavery. God spoke, revealed his name and led them to the promise land. For all this preparation was needed.

Today John the Baptist is crying out to me and you.

Are we able to hear the voice of John the Baptist [our conscience], calling for a U turn in our lives. A call to change in life style. A call to repentance. Or are we deaf to his cries.

John the Baptist directs our gaze to the topography of our own lives:

– Where are the valleys [of discouragement, frustration], of empty places that the coming of Jesus can fill them.

– What are the mountains [ego, pride], our feeling of being important, our pride. To make them low, so that we are able to come low to meet the Lord, who comes to be with us.

– What is crooked in our life; our habits, sins, addiction, shady life, not on the right track; to give them up and to walk straight in life and in the light of Christ.

– Are there any rough edges in our lives; that make people uncomfortable in our presence, so that we can smoothen them with the gentleness and patience of jesus Christ.

We need to fill the valleys of our souls; with prayers and good works. Need to straighten out whatever crooked paths and from sinful relationships. We need to give up grudges, hatred and clear our debris, level the mountains of our pride and ego centrism.

For all this we need to seek Jesus.

Are we afraid to cut down, fill up, straighten up or smoothen out?

We should not be afraid:

– Baruch: assure the people in exile and captivity and who are in sorrow and death, to put on a new cloak of Justice and God’s glory. Remove all that hinders us, high mountains, fill valleys… so that the people can walk safely in God’s glory. For God will guide his people.

– Paul: in his prayer says; Confident that God who has given us life in Him will make sure all is completed.

· Thus the cries of John the Baptist do not become a threat but an eager and joyful invitation to prepare our hearts to receive Jesus Christ now and always.

· God wants to come closer to his people always and to be with us.