Prepare a Path to Salvation

Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent

By Deacon Thomas Stephenson

December 6, 2015

Quite often, when we try to recall something that happened in our lives, we associate it with certain events and people of the same time. The list of people and places at the beginning of today’s Gospel may not mean much to most of us, but to Luke, and the people he was writing for, it was a way to indicate where and when John the Baptist, and Jesus, too, fit into things. Those mentioned were important people, of both the governing officials and the Jewish leaders of the time. We may recognize some of the names – Pilate, Herod, Annas, Caiaphas – that we will hear again at the Passion. Yet, it was not to any of them, these prestigious people in their positions of power, that the word of God came; the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. In the wilderness, not in Jerusalem, not in any of the other significant cities or villages; and to a man who up to that point was pretty much unknown – and had nothing. John had forsaken all of that. Remember, his father was a priest, so he was probably not impoverished. John chose to live in the desert, giving up whatever comforts he may have had with his parents. John had no material possessions, but he possessed a great deal spiritually.

This time that Luke has indicated by his list, and which we know of through other historical sources, was not the best of times for the Jewish people. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote in his book, Jesus of Nazareth, “Israel is living once more in the darkness of divine absence; God is silent, seemingly forgetful of the promises to Abraham and David. The old lament is heard once more: ‘We no longer have any prophets’; God seemed to have abandoned His people.” (Jesus of Nazareth, p.12) They welcomed John as a prophet, and his message is straightforward – a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people came from all over to be baptised. The Gospel of Mark tells us “And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins”. (Mk 1:5)

John’s mission is to prepare the way of the Lord, to make paths straight and rough ways smooth – in people’s hearts. During Advent, and actually all year ‘round, it is up to us to make the paths and rough ways in our hearts straight and smooth. The path we are working on is the path to salvation.

At this time of the year, we often make note of the materialism that is so evident leading up to Christmas. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings the Lord has graced us with – until that interferes with our ability to recognize the source of those blessings. And that focus on the material trappings of Christmas can hinder us in truly preparing for the coming of our saviour. So, while we cannot ignore the secular elements of this season, we must make a conscious effort to keep those elements in their proper place. Jesus should be our primary focus, not an afterthought.

One thing that we seem to have so little of, especially in these weeks leading up to Christmas, is time. There are so many things to do, and it is difficult to fit them all in. That means that it is even more important for us to make the effort to carve out time to spend preparing for the Lord. Perhaps a little less time on Facebook, or watching TV, would free up some time. We recognize just how important it is to properly prepare for so many things in life, but do we recognize the importance of preparing for the Lord? Last week, Father Paul mentioned a few things we can do, including increased prayer time, and some extra spiritual reading. Some of our family time can also be spent on the religious aspects of the season. For example, we have the Jesse Tree event here at the church on Monday evening, which should be wonderful experience for the family. Whatever we do, there are activities to help us better appreciate the true meaning of Christmas.

John the Baptist came to prepare the way of the Lord, baptizing people for the forgiveness of their sins. It is through God’s mercy that our sins are forgiven. As Father said at the beginning of Mass, it is in God’s love and mercy that He sent His Son for our salvation. At the end of today’s first reading, we hear: “For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light of His glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from Him.” We are about to enter the Jubilee Year of Mercy as proclaimed by Pope Francis. The year begins on Tuesday, December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. In Ottawa, Archbishop Prendergast will bless the Holy Door at the Cathedral on Tuesday evening, and open the door on Sunday, December 13th. This is a special year, but we should remember that God’s mercy is always available to us. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the means that Jesus provides for the forgiveness of our sins. When we go to confession, we experience God’s mercy in a concrete way. Who has not felt happiness when hearing the priest say at the end of the prayer of absolution “I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”? Archbishop Prendergast has invited all of us to go to confession at least once during the year of mercy; of course, under the second precept of the Church, all Catholics are obligated to go to confession at least once a year, but we should especially make it a point to do so in the upcoming year. As the Archbishop mentioned in his letter, Pope Francis continually reminds us that we may tire of asking God for pardon and mercy, but He never tires of showing us mercy.

So let us take advantage of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Let us make the paths of our heart straight and smooth, and make this our best Advent season. Let us pray that the Lord will give us the strength and wisdom to focus on what is truly important, and prepare well, so that we may be found worthy at the coming of our Saviour.