HOMILY FOR THE 2ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR C.

 

Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126:1-6 R/ v.1; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke: 3:1-6

“MESSIAHNIC RESTORATION”

      By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Advent is about the coming of Jesus as our Saviour.  When we look at our world today, we see, as in every age, an enormous need for a Saviour.  There is chaos all around us, there is hunger, there is anxiety and uncertainty. We have reached the point there is this inner voice saying, ‘come Lord and save us.’  Advent invites us to prepare ourselves and our world for that Saviour.

·      In the first reading (Baruch 5:1-9), the Prophet Baruch reminds us that God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company. Probably it is difficult for us to sense this message in our hearts.  We are the new Israel, you, and I! God is leading us in joy by the light of His glory.  We can only know this by faith in the Lord.  We Christians are invited to believe in Jesus and to believe that Jesus has changed the world completely by his Advent, by His coming into the world.

·      Far too often we Christians look at the world as if we had no faith at all.  We are convinced that somehow God’s coming into the world has not changed it, even as at the same time, we profess to believe.  When there is terrorism, when there is still abject poverty, when people are still dying, because no one cares—where is God?

·      Saint Paul tells us in his Letter to the Philippians (1:4-6), that he is confident of this, that the one who began a good work in us will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.  We are invited to live in that same faith, with complete confidence.  Sure, it is difficult to believe and even more difficult to believe that somehow God is changing our world for the better; when, from all appearances, everything seem to be moving to chaos.

·      We can remember that in Genesis, God created the world out of nothing, out of original chaos.  God can transform the world immediately and is always working in the very depths of our human reality and all creation:  transforming in His way so that all will reflect His love and mercy.

·      Saint Luke in the gospel (Luke: 3:1-6), puts the figure of John the Baptist in front of us.  This is another reminder that God is present.  You and I are called to be John the Baptist in our world today, announcing that God is present and that God is changing the world to reflect His love.  We should be able to proclaim from the depth of our hearts:  all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

·      In preparing for Christmas, then, we should not be mesmerized and bewildered by the glitter and noise, the commercialism and consumerism that abound during these days. Let our focus be on Jesus. He is the God-made man, precisely to bring us close to God. This entails a lot of sacrifices, conversions, and repentance. We are following a crucified Lord. We cannot separate Christmas from Good Friday. The crib in Bethlehem leads to the cross on Calvary. 

·      St. John the Baptist tells us what must be done during this Advent: the valleys of our shortcomings and sins of omission shall be filled in, the mountains of our pride and arrogance shall be made low, the winding roads of our crooked ways shall be straightened, and the rough ways of our bad manners and ill behaviour shall be made smooth.

·      Let us rejoice! God is with us in Jesus. But we must face the challenge to remain pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, all the days of our life.

·       My sisters and brothers, we are called to be witnesses that God has touched our lives and has touched our world.  Salvation is here in our midst.  Let us live in faith and confidence:  God will complete His work. May this Season of Advent bring us the grace of true repentance and conversion to the Lord. Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!