Today we light the second Advent Wreath candle. Tradition
has named each one. 1. Hope; 2. Peace; 3. Joy; 4. Love. Our First Reading for
this Second Sunday of Advent is from the prophet Baruch. He is prophesying to
the Jewish exiles who are scattered off into foreign lands. But now the days of
exile are numbered, freedom is about to come upon God’s people
Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look
toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word
of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. For they went out from
you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried
in glory, as on a royal throne.
These words of consolation from the mouth of the prophet long
ago still have deep meaning for us, God’s people today. We too can be exiles
but our exile is not a political one but rather a spiritual one. Our enemy, the
Great Deceiver, invades the citadel of our life of faith and captures us with
the weapons of sin – disarming us of our shield of faith and right living. For some
today, their faith is lost completely – they are now under the rule of this deception,
this secular age of unbelief.
In today’s gospel the dramatic figure of John the Baptist
appears with a call to come back – back to a life of right living, back to
faith in God.
He went into all the region around the Jordan
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins …
The culture around us is already heavily into Christmas celebrating.
But we should not let that overshadow these beautiful and important days of
Advent. We should have a two-directional view in Advent, one inward, the other
outward. First we look inward, into our own personal life. In what ways has the
Deceiver gained influence in my personal life? Think of St. Paul’s beautiful
prayer in today's Second Reading; let it be heard as a personal prayer, directed
now to us;
For God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my
prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full
insight so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless,
Our outward view should be to those around us who are now
exiled from their faith. Let us desire to share in the spirit of John the Baptist
– to be signs of faith and hope to our brothers and sisters, separated from
this life-giving communion with God. Let us fill all the valleys of darkness
with the light of faith and good works.
Let us move the mountains of doubt and confusion blocking
people from seeing God and his love for them.
Let us straighten the crocked ways of the world with right
and just lives lived with courage and integrity.
Let us help others get over the rough times in their lives
that make believing near impossible for them.
These things should be our tasks in these Advent days so that:
“. . . all flesh shall see the salvation
of God.”
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