Homily Second Sunday of Advent Year A Prepare
Homily
Second Sunday of Advent Year A
Reading
1: Last Sunday, the prophet Isaiah invited us to come to the Lord to receive
instructions so that we may able to walk in the light of the Lord. Today, the
Church continues to listen to the prophet Isaiah. He tells us good news of
hope. Even though things may look lifeless and hopeless, like an old stump of a
tree, life will bud forth, a shoot shall break forth.
This
was an allusion of the future Messiah. The Spirit of God will anoint him in his
humanity for his own personal growth in his relationship with God: wisdom,
understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge and fear of the Lord. These are
the same gifts we received in Baptism, so that we can delight in the Lord.
Last
Sunday, Isaiah talked about peace: one nation will not rise against another.
This Sunday he speaks of the harmony between human beings and the animal world.
When the Messiah comes he will restore relationship between us and God and
between us and all creation. The same as it was before the Fall. And the focus
is to free us to come to be filled with the knowledge of God. Not only is this
peace for Israel but for the Gentiles as well. Advent is a time for us to
fulfill what Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection, namely,
peace and harmony between God and us and us with others.
Gospel:
As Isaiah was a prophet of hope, so John the Baptist is a prophet of hope. His
role was to prepare the way for the Messiah. He does this by calling people
into true and sincere repentance for their sins and to express this inner
repentance through an external sign, baptism. But for this external sign to
bear good fruit, they must turn away from sin, so that when the Messiah comes
they can receive him. It will be then that they will be able to act on his
word.
They
are to prepare with expectation, because what the Messiah will do is baptize
them in the Holy Spirit and fire. John’s baptism was a preparatory step to the
greater gift that Jesus will offer, namely the Holy Spirit. Jesus will begin,
like John, calling for repentance for sins which prepares the person for the
grace of reconciliation and forgiveness through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Like John’s call for some fruit in a person’s life, Jesus too calls for the fruit
of witnessing to what God has done for us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
How
many people were baptized by John and how many of these became open to the ministry
and word of Jesus? How many persevered in their walk of faith? We have been
baptized, we have been forgiven, we have been fed, we have been anointed. Where
is the fruit, the evidence in our lives? Advent is a new beginning, a new
response, a new longing for a fresh coming of Jesus and the Spirit into our
lives. But it is a times of fruit on our part.
Reading
2: Paul is also a prophet of hope. He reminds us that the scriptures are
written for our instruction, so that as we hear and act on God’s word, we might
have the hope, giving us endurance in the midst of life’s difficulties. The
source of our endurance and encouragement is God.
As
Jesus died for all, we are called to be at one with all, to be at peace.
Through
this harmony and peace we praise and glorify God. Unity and peace was the
prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper. The exchange of peace at Mass is not just
an external ritual but needs to be a reflection of our way of life.
As
Paul said: “Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you,” Advent reminds us that
if there is no room for others in our heart then there is no room for Jesus
there.
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