Dec. 5, 2021: 2nd Sunday Advent C
Dec. 5, 2021: 2nd Sunday Advent C
Have you heard of a tradition of praying the Memorare to the Blessed Mother when you hear an emergency siren? “Remember O most gracious Virgin Mary… inspired by this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother… despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer them.” One mom explained to her children that when we hear police cars, ambulances, or fire trucks, someone is in need of help and they need our prayers. So called “Drive-by prayers” such as the Memorare or a Hail Mary are wonderful ways to spend time in the car to pray for someone.
A few days ago, the busy flow of traffic on both sides of Siegen Lane slowed down when they heard sirens from several police motorcycles heading eastbound. The oncoming traffic saw cars moving out of the middle lane as the police led a caravan of cars through busy traffic. While the caravan was trying to reach the cemetery from across town, the people driving on Siegen Lane were trying to get to restaurants and stores. The caravan was led by a white hearse carrying the remains of an 89 years old mother who now was headed home to her resting place after working all her life to care for her family. As I was following the hearse, I wondered if the people in traffic paid respect in some way to this soul who prepared the way of the Lord for herself and her family. The hearse must have been a reminder to all that we are not destined for earth but for eternity. Perhaps the hearse could be seen as a herald like John the Baptist proclaiming repentance for the forgiveness of sins. I hope that many used that brief moment to ponder about the shortness of their life and whether they are walking and striving toward the path of holiness.
Every year on the Second Sunday of Advent the Church invites us to hear again the proclamation of John the Baptist. John attracted people to the desert wilderness which was a place of silence and prayer, to lead the people away from the hustle and bustle of life and to join him in an exodus out of slavery into God’s promised fresh start. John preached that the first step on this journey toward freedom was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Baptism of John was not the sacrament of baptism but a symbolic action through which people expressed their desire to have their evil past totally washed away by the waters of the Jordan River.
The repentance John preached was not just sorrow for past sins but a total and radical change in our relationship with God and others. He was calling forth a conversion of mind and heart that will bring about a release, or letting go, of the heavy baggage of sin, to reconcile with God and with all those whom we have hurt or with whom we have come in conflict.
John’s proclamation calls us into action, to make straight our path toward God. The imagery John used was valleys filled full, mountains and hills humbled, and everything crooked made straight and true. While decorating and preparing for the blessed season of the nativity of Jesus is wonderful, we are called to go further. Preparing the Lord’s path toward peace requires overturning the world as we know it. We need to reaffirm our commitment to the Christian community, to open ourselves to an ever deeper change of heart, and to help people fill their valleys and to make their rough paths smoother.
One parishioner noticed that as she stood behind someone buying groceries at the checkout counter, the lady told the attendant not to ring up several items as she realized that she could not afford them. The parishioner, who is a volunteer with St. Vincent de Paul Society, recognized what was happening. Often people who are strapped for cash cannot afford basic goods and cleaning supplies. The volunteer explained to me the predicament a poor family faces when they receive donated boxed or canned foods from a food pantry. The poor often cannot afford milk, butter or oil which are often the key ingredients to prepare boxed meals and some folks don’t even own can openers or microwaves. While they are grateful for the basic food items from the pantry, the poor can’t afford to buy basic household cleaning supplies. The parishioner stepped up closer to the shopper and whispered, “May I bless you today,” and told the attendant to ring up all the items. The parishioner paid for all the groceries and told the shopper, “Have a blessed Christmas.” In a small way, this parishioner helped someone fill their valleys and made their rough paths smoother.
Preparing for God’s arrival means asking God to help us see the world through his eyes. What seems satisfactory to us is not good enough for God. God sent us His Son to a poor, struggling family as a reminder to us that He desires to heal and lift up through us what is broken and beaten down in this world. The Advent season is a time of action for each of us; conversion of mind and heart to be God’s instrument to help people fill their valleys and make smooth their rough paths. May we all use this week to find one person whom we can encourage or to bless.
