Reflection/Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent Year B 10th December 2023

Reflection/Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent Year B 10th December 2023

Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11. Psalm 85:9ab,10,11-12,13-14. 2 Peter 3:8-14. Mark 1:1-8.

Theme: Conversion and New World.

In the first reading, prophet Isaiah invites the people of Israel, exiled in Babylon, to prepare to welcome the Lord  who is coming to free them. Their slavery which was a result of their sins, is about to end. God will save them, but on their part, they must welcome this liberation, cross the desert, and begin a new life in a new land.

The prophet says: "A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord'" (Isa.49:3). Advent is a time of preparing the way of the Lord. We must prepare a way in ourselves, in our thoughts, words, and deeds. The word "way" means a journey to be undertaken, which can bring us closer to God.

The Gospel continues the same theme of preparing for the coming of the Lord. Another prophet, John the Baptist, invites the people of Israel to conversion so that the Messiah may manifest himself and a new world may begin. The Gospel tells us, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare the way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight" (Mark 1:1-2). Here, St. Mark is preparing the peple of Israel and us for something which is a new beginning, a new creation.

In preparing for this new beginning, John the Baptist invites the people of Israel by preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Many people approached him for baptism, thinking that he was the Messiah to bring about a new creation.

He preached to them, saying in humility, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptised you with water; but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit" (Mark 1:7-8).

What level of humility? He did not want the people to see him as the Messiah since he was not the Messiah. He relegated himself to the background so that the people would focus on the Messiah, who is to come after him. It is this spirit of humility exhibited by John the Baptist that we are called to emulate as we prepare for Christ's coming at Christmas.

St. Peter, in the second reading, said that when we speak of the Lord's coming, we should not merely be looking for a date for the end of the world, but rather we must welcome the Lord who comes to create a new world. He tells us, "Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Pet.3:8). We live in time, no doubt. But we should not transfer this idea to God because with him, our thousand years are as one day and one day is as our thousand years. We should not judge, therefore, with our categories, and we should not say that God has hurried or God is late.

The mission and ministry of John the Baptist are made known to us today. He is the voice of the one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight'. He preaches a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Whatever is crooked in our lives, making us aimlessly meander and saunter, must be straightened. Some of us have mountains and hills of pride, arrogance, and insolence that are to be made low if we want the Lord to come our way. There are some rough edges in our lives that we have to make smooth. We ought to fill up every valley of emptiness in our souls by God's gracious words and do what these words demands.

Obviously, timely preparation by all of us remains a fundamental attitude for this Advent season. Like John the Baptist, we should lead others to Christ. The Church urges us to open our hearts to receive the inner grace of sanctification for our souls.. 

May God grant us the spirit of humility to find a dwelling in us as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas through Christ our Lord. Amen.