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Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent

READ: (Isa 11: 1-10; Rom 15: 1-10; Matt 3: 1-12)

REFLECT:  A call to peace and harmony, fidelity and repentance

Dear friends, today we are in the second Sunday of advent. On the second Sunday of advent we would be lighting a candle of “Faith.” It is also called as Bethlehem Candle usually purple or violet. The candle symbolizes faith and reminds us of the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. The color of the Second Advent candle is associated with royalty and reminds us that Christ is the “King of Kings.” We await the coming of a new king from Bethlehem. The king would rule us with love beyond all telling. We know the love that God has for us is manifested both in word and deed. Thus, the liturgy of the word invites each one of us as how we can express our love for God and for one another with an act of faith and faithfulness. So, based on the readings of the day, I would like to share with you three points of reflection.

1. A call to peace and harmony:

Today we all of us wish to be at peace and harmony. None of us for that matter would be unhappy about it. Because, ultimately peace of mind and harmony of hearts give us freshness and warmth to our existence on earth as human beings. The passage of the first reading from prophet Isaiah begins and ends with confirmation of the dynasty’s renewal. But the emphasis is on three facets of God’s support and blessing. First is the “spirit of Yahweh” which provides the wisdom necessary for rule. The second is the “fear of Yahweh” which makes possible the administration of justice and the authority to rule. The third is “the knowledge of Yahweh” which assures the reign of peace.

These are not royal achievements. They are facets of Yahweh’s evident presence in Jerusalem. It is a reminder that when a king rules by “the Spirit of Yahweh” in the “fear of Yahweh,” and with the intent of spreading “the knowledge of Yahweh,” the dynamics of Davidic kingship is at work. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. When kings rule by the guidelines of their own ambition and power, God’s purposes are turned upside down and we all become subject to his judgment for the deeds that we do.

Further, the first reading as well speaks to us about the restoration of the Jewish monarchy in the person of a king from the family of Jesse, the father of David. The monarchy will be equipped by Yahweh’s spirit for all the duties of a righteous ruler. Thus having been equipped and guided by God, in virtue of his wisdom he will discern what is right and in virtue of his might achieve it, securing for the weak what is due to them, and smiting down the powerful who do wrong. But all will be done in righteousness and faithfulness. There will be a return of the paradise where beasts will no longer be at enmity with each other and with human beings, but all will live together in peace and harmony.

Yes, we can make our dwelling place a paradise on earth provided we have the spirit of Yahweh, fear of Yahweh and the knowledge of Yahweh. Most of us make our life tough and entangle in problems and difficulties because, we are not ready to be guided by the spirit of Yahweh, and we have no fear and knowledge of Yahweh. The faith as Christians is fostered and matures when we allow the spirit of Yahweh to guide and lead, when the fear and knowledge of Yahweh becomes the very fiber of our existence. As pope Francis says, “Peace is a gift that comes through prayer and through small daily efforts to sow harmony in one’s family, parish, and community. So let us reignite our hearts to make peace with one another and live a harmonious life in faith and service of God.

2. A call to fidelity:

Fidelity is faithfulness to someone or something to which one is bound by pledge and duty. As Christians we are pledge and duty bound to express our fidelity to God, because life we have received is a gift and love from his bounty. One of the firm or definitive expressions of fidelity to God is shown by our faith and faithfulness to God in all things. Therefore, fidelity to the faith received from God, through our ancestors, church, elders, and parents would be solid and appropriate expressions of faith in God.

Pope Francis gives a meaningful insight about faith saying, “The fire of faith should spur us to conversion, not lull us into complacency. Faith is not a lullaby that lulls us to sleep, but rather a living flame to keep us wakeful and active even at night.”  Yes, this shall be our approach and attitude to faith, which will trigger us and motivate us to keep the faith in Christ alive and active in all situations. A call to fidelity is as well need to be manifested in our faithfulness to Christ’s teachings. Jesus never taught us to have divisive mentality or cause division in the society. For Jesus, everyone is important and all are God’s children. Today one of the ways that we can manifest our loyalty and fidelity to Christ is remaining faithful to his teachings and instructions. The authenticity and concrete proof of it we have in the scriptures of what Jesus said and did. That’s what we see in the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans.

The example of Christ is proposed by St. Paul. He identifies himself with them and urges them to think of the encouragement that comes to them from the example of Christ and from the Scriptures. Christ has already shown how Christians should relate to one another, how the strong should bear with the failings of the weak. In his life on earth Jesus did not focus on his own interests, but the interest of all humanity to love and serve. Thus he gave us an example of how we ought to conduct ourselves toward one another.

The very words of St. Paul, “welcome one another as Christ as welcomed you all. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promise given to the  patriarchs and in order the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.” It emphasizes the mutual acceptance of Jews and Gentiles in the Christian community that is governed by the rule of Christ. The motivation of it is the glory of God; the pattern is what Christ did; and the purpose is threefold: to manifest God’s fidelity, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, and to relate the Gentiles to the goal of Israel’s existence for the glory of God.

Yes, our fidelity to God is watered down in many ways in life and by our life-style. At times there is no correspondence between what the faith we profess and practice. At times we remain firm and faithful to man-made rules and regulations, our own convictions and ideologies; at times we tend to show fidelity and affinity to media and technology. We lose our touch with the divine, no faith is manifested and faithfulness to God is questioned and under suspicion.  So what we do in life must glorify God and bring glory to God and the best way to glorify God is to manifest faith sincerely and genuinely in all situations like Jesus. So let us make every effort to manifest loyalty and fidelity to Christ.

3. A call to repentance:

Repentance is nothing but a call to conversion of mind and heart. As someone beautifully said, “to speak of repentance is not fashionable thing in a world where the world prefers to ignore sin, yet we who belong to Christ must testify that repentance is the way to forgiveness and freedom. It is the key that unlocks the mercy of God. The call to repentance is always addressed to ourselves first, since all of us are continually in need of deeper conversion. Yes, this is what we see in the life of Jesus and John the Baptist too in the Gospels. Both of them came proclaiming a message of repentance to turn to the Lord with a pure heart and receive the Lord with hearts that are worthy, well-prepared, focused and directed to God.

That’s the message of John the Baptist in the Gospel reading we have today. The focus and mission of John the Baptist is very clear and straight to the point that he was to prepare the people by way of repentance and renewal, to tell people about Christ and his power. As a forerunner John the Baptist prepares the way for Messiah to come and as a precursor acknowledges that he has not come to overdo or outdo the work as Jesus the Messiah would do rather he is just a messenger of God. John the Baptist admits that in all certainty Jesus is more powerful than John, Jesus’ power and might can match up no one, for he has the power of God, spirit of God which always inherent in him since the beginning of creation. The words of wisdom from John the Baptist we hear in the gospel, “Every tree that does not bear fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Yes, this is focus and purpose of life for each one. The life that is gifted to each one by God has a purpose to bear fruit; otherwise we do not fulfil the purpose for which we are created. Closing ourselves to being productive and fruitful in life is almost equivalent to shun the grace and offer of God to growth in faith. If we want to avoid being cut or thrown into the fiery furnace, we need to repent and renew life in God. Repentance is not merely a choice or chance for renewal of life rather it is the most needed and wanted response and an immediate action from each one of us to return to God with a pure mind and heart, body and soul.

St. John Climacus a monk  at the monastery on Mount Sinai of the 6th and 7th C, who is also known as John of the Ladder describes what repentance means; “repentance is the renewal of baptism; it is a contract with God for a second life; it is a constant distrust of bodily comfort; it is self-condemning reflection of care-free self-care; repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair; repentance is reconciliation with the Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins; repentance is purification of conscience; repentance is the voluntary endurance of self-afflictions; repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach and a striking of the soul into vigorous awareness.”

So what can foster faith better or renew life in God is repentance. Let this repentance be a returning to God, be the pure conversion of the mind and heart to welcome Jesus in the midst of us. May we never be put in disgrace to repeatedly repent for the conversion of mind and heart and the purification of our bodies and souls. Let us repent to renew our faith in God and reorient our lives in God.

RESPOND:

Do we work for peace and harmony in places where we live and work?

Do we manifest fidelity to God by the faith that we have inherited from ancestors and the Catholic Church?

Do we repent for our sinfulnesses, change hearts and minds to renew life in God and reconcile with one another?

Let us work for peace and harmony, manifest fidelity to God by the profession and expression of faith, repent for occasions of sin and sinfulness to renew life in God  and with one another. Amen.

“Inspiration draws us to faith. If it does not meet with any opposition from us, it leads us even t o repentance and charity.” (St. Francis De Sales, TLG, Bk II,  Chapter – 13, p. 67)

God bless us all. Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968