Second Sunday of Advent (C)
Gospel
Lk 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
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I remember some years ago, when there were nine executions carried out in three days, seeing a photograph of four religious sisters standing opposite the jail where the executions were being carried out, praying the rosary. These sisters had kept vigil all night praying for the men who were to be executed that day and also as a protest against capital punishment. They were, as can be imagined, the recipients of all sorts of verbal abuse as their stance was not a very popular one.
In a society in which vengeance is encouraged, to speak of love even for the criminal is not accepted. Truly these sisters were a voice crying in the wilderness.
As I read the gospel passage for the second Sunday of Advent, these sisters came to mind because they, like John the Baptist, were trying to prepare the nation for the coming of the Lord. John the Baptist we are told preached a baptism of repentance. He washed people in the Jordan symbolically washing away their sins so that they too could join with him in preparing the way of the Lord. The way of the Lord is prepared by removing all the obstacles to communion between peoples. The removal of mountain ranges, the filling of valleys, long winding roads being made straight and therefore shorter and rough roads being made smooth, all things which make communication with others difficult, signal a new era in human relations. This new era is an era of harmony between humans and is characterized as salvation which comes from God, a salvation which all experience. This is the day of the Lord!
These three sisters mentioned above were calling us out of vengeance to something new. Unfortunately like the people of the time of John the Baptist very few heard that call and similar to that age, the opportunity to bring about meaningful change was lost. As a people we continue to respond to negativity with negativity, a road which only continues the downward spiral. For the Jews this downward spiral culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem, that which was nearest and dearest to them. For us the downward spiral also destroys things near and dear to us. The recent economic meltdown is an example of what can happen when the opportunities to bring about meaningful change are lost. But it need not be so. The history of the world has showed us that when opportunities for meaningful change are grasped a new era can be brought into being. A good example of this is the accord between Chile and Argentina which averted war and brought about a new era of understanding and cooperation between these two nations.
The gospel reading for this second Sunday of Advent then reminds us that we must be people of hope. In the midst of all the divisions and wars fueled by greed, narrow nationalistic interests, political interests and religion there is hope. All flesh can see the salvation of God but this hope only grows out of the willingness of the followers of Jesus to risk being voices crying in the wilderness. May there always be voices calling us to a baptism of repentance so that the valleys are filled and every mountain and hill made low. The winding roads made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and then all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God a sense of hopelessness pervades our land. We continue to lose jobs, health care is in shambles, crime continues and the leaders of our nation do not hear the cries of the people. Help us to be like John the Baptist, unafraid to be voices crying in the wilderness secure in the knowledge that if we do Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and your Son Jesus. Amen
