Dec. 6, 2020: 2nd Sunday of Advent B

Dec. 6, 2020: 2nd Sunday Advent B
Click to Hear Audio Homily

Can you recall a childhood experience that made you feel closer to God? Also can you remember a childhood experience that made you push God far away? Clive was raised in a loving and religious family in Ireland. He was a very imaginative and curious boy. He loved reading literature, poetry, and myths; his dad’s study was filled with books to read. Clive faced a great loss at age nine when his mother died of cancer. After losing his mom at such a young age, Clive lost his trust in God. He wondered how God could be good and loving if he takes his loved ones away. World War I which was raging at that time only confirmed his convictions. Clive rejected faith in any kind of God, vowing that he was an atheist. Years later, Clive was teaching at a university in England when he met John who was also teaching at the same university. They fast became good friends, sharing the same passion for literature and mythology. John began to engage Clive in a deep conversation about Christianity. Clive later credited John for his conversion to Christianity. Like John the Baptist in today’s gospel, John prepared a way for Clive to encounter Jesus. We are familiar with both Clive and John: Clive (aka C.S. Lewis) later wrote the “Chronicles of Narnia” series and John (aka J.R.R. Tolkein) wrote the “Lord of the Ring” trilogy. 

There are many among our circle of family and friends who have pushed God far away after experiencing a great loss or disappointment in their lives. Some feel that they don’t need God at all because they are self-sufficient and self-reliant. I imagine that the current pandemic is also giving some folks reasons to push God away. Sometimes the smallest thing that goes wrong in our bodies thrust us into serious consequences, even life threatening situations. In such moments, our idyllic world crumbles before us. Even for the best of us, disappointments or loss can affect our spiritual life. Not a day goes by that a faith-filled parishioner does not say that they can’t pray and that they feel desolation and dryness. Is there anything we can do for our loved ones and for ourselves? 

Prophet Isaiah’s words are just as relevant today as they were for the Israelites: “Comfort, give comfort to my people... Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord GOD...Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.” The Prophet said, the mighty, victorious God is coming. And this God will be like a shepherd whose compassion will dispel confusion and fear. However, even with this promise and assurance of the arrival of God in their midst, they didn’t know how to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. We too, don’t know how to make straight our path to Jesus. 

Just as we take the time to get an annual checkup for our physical bodies, we need to get a spiritual check up as well. When we have trouble with our eyes, ears, or mouth, we don’t hesitate to seek out a doctor to find a remedy. Do we do the same when we begin to lose sight of God, when we stop hearing his voice, and when we stop believing in him? When a little child loses sight of his mom in a store, he begins to cry and tries to find her. When we lose sight of God and stop hearing the voice of God, joy and hope dissipate from our hearts. Often we don’t realize that we are running empty on our spiritual gas tank. 

What are some ways we can reconnect with God, to regain our sight of him, to hear again his merciful voice reverberate in our hearts, and to recommit to become generous carriers of God’s love to our neighbor? First is to open our eyes again in awe and wonder of God’s presence around us. In these cooler days, can we take reflective moments in our backyard, to see the beauty of nature which speaks so eloquently of the intricacies of God’s design and plan. A few minutes of reflection on all the blessings we received this year is sure to help us notice the ever present God’s hand on our shoulders. Preeminently, we can see the full humility and love of Our Lord in the Eucharist in which he hides his majesty and glory so that we his children can approach and gaze upon his merciful love. 

Secondly, we need to take time to hear the life giving voice of Our Lord in prayer. We often say that we don’t have time to pray, yet we do have time for everything else. Mother Teresa said, “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” If our conscience bothers us as we pray, we should seek the Sacrament of Reconciliation to clean out the spiritual ear wax that keeps us from hearing his merciful voice. 

Thirdly, we need to carry out in action what Jesus commanded us to do, that is to love one another. When our love for God begins to diminish, we need to take time to witness charity for our neighbor. God is tender, loving, and merciful, and he desires to share his immense gifts with the world. We experience God’s love flowing through us when we start giving of our time, energy, and resources. While some in this world may be filled with hate and absorbed with only self-interest, our love in action brings the joy in loving and counters selfishness found in the world. Like John the Baptist, we can help others experience joy and hope in the barren hearts of people. As Mother Teresa said, “God gives us things to share, God doesn't give us things to hold.” 

Just as in the time of John the Baptist when all of Jerusalem came to John for baptism and forgiveness of sins, the season of Advent is a time for all of us to experience conversion of our hearts. Conversion means that we are to turn away from self-sufficiency and selfishness; we must rather turn toward humility and meekness. Fr. Hubert Brou, a former pastor of St. George, used to say during Advent, “Salvation is not just a question of acceptance of God’s gift but of creative waiting, productive waiting, redemptive waiting for the end of time.” Productive waiting means that the time is now to reject that which does not give life. Only Our Lord is the light of this world, and we are to look for His light in each other. We can only accomplish this when we spend time with Our Lord, to listen to him in prayer, and to be his instruments of love.