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Homily, 2nd Sunday Advent ● 2023 December 10 ● ● Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 ● Psalm 85 ● 2 Peter 3:8-14 ● + Mark 1:1-8 ●
[__01__] In Biblical and Gospel history, we refer to John the Baptist as the precursor of Jesus Christ.
The
word PRE + CURSOR is not referring to that blinking vertical line on your
computer where you start typing, but PRE + CURSOR means the one who runs ahead,
the forerunner.
In
this case, JTB does not run ahead and arrive early.
Rather,
JTB – as precursor – prepares the way. He paves the road for Jesus to arrive
and walk on.
[__02__] Have you noticed there's a lot of paving and road construction these days on the parkway on the turnpike and elsewhere? The paving and fixing of roads is urgent right now given that the construction crews have to finish paving before the weather gets even colder.
I recall
learning this when we were doing our parking lot and that the asphalt has to be poured before it gets
too cold. You can't pour asphalt in the winter. And we'd like to have smooth
roads before the snow comes.
So,
the urgency of physically paving on the turnpike and the spiritual paving by
JTB lines up in parallel fashion …both have to finish before Christmas.
[__03__] This reminded me of a brief summer job I had many
years ago in which I was working on paving of roads for a few weeks. One of
these projects was near here on Park Street in Montclair.
In
the projects, we were paving with new asphalt – the black stuff – but we were
also trying to reuse the existing road surface by heating it up, raking it over
and steamrolling it, to transform it into a new road.
Our
work was the precursor to a new road. But there was another precursor before we
even got there. We were not repaving
just to make it look nice, but were repaving due to digging and underground
work by the water company or PSE&G.
Now
that their digging and work was completed, we could do the next stage: pave the
road.
We
were the final precursor to the new road
[__04__] John the Baptist is the final precursor to Jesus
as our new road, also expressed as Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
John
the Baptist is the voice crying out in the desert
JTB
is not last in a line of prophets who had also prepared a road for the Messiah.
One
prophet with a very long journey was Moses – the prophet of the Exodus, the
“Prince of Egypt”. But, Moses was not called to become powerful in Egypt but to
stand up to the powerful authorities in Egypt.
Through
Moses’ mission and preaching, the Jewish people were freed from slavery in
Egypt.
[__05__] Moses was
the guide to the NAVIGATION that led them geographically. Moses did not limit
the people by telling them where to go, but was freeing them.
Moses was also the
prophet to receive the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai, the discipline and rules
which were not meant to punish the people but also to liberate by giving them
LEGISLATION and laws to live by.
Moses’ mission is
both NAVIGATION and LEGISLATION.
[__06__] John the Baptist follows in a similar way with a
message to repent and to remind that there is still – from God – a plan for
both NAVIGATION and LEGISLATION of the people.
[__07__] As for me, I am not always open to or attracted
to God’s NAVIGATION or LEGISLATION – I myself need conversion to Christ so that
I can do what is right, say what is right.
This Advent
season is a time for penance and penitence. It's not a long time of penance,
like the 40 days of Lent that begin on Ash Wednesday. This is only a 21 day
adventure. It's the shortest possible Advent. This is not to rush you to
Christmas. I'm not trying to rush you like everybody else. But it's a short
Advent because Christmas falls on a Monday this year. So it's only only 21
days. But it is a time for us to examine our lives.
[__08__] Moses himself, along with many of the prophets,
were flawed and fragile figures with their own issues of disobedience and
distress before God.
For
example, Moses was so adamant about getting water from the rock in one instance
that he double-clicks the rock (struck the rock 2x) when God told him to “single
click” *strike 1x”. For this, Moses was
told he would never see the Promised Land.
Leaders
are held to a high standard!
So,
Moses himself never crosses through the Jordan River to the Promised Land.
In a
sense, JTB picks up where Moses left off, baptizing the people in the Jordan
River. John is also baptized by Jesus – and baptizes Jesus – in the Jordan.
[__09__] JTB was
reminding people then – and reminding us now – about the uncomfortable process
of digging beneath the surface, of repentance
I don't like
this. I don't like to see my fears exposed my laziness exposed, even to me. I'd
rather not know how lazy I am. Or, my selfishness exposed. My lack of punctuality exposed I could go on
but we don’t have that much time ! But but through making myself aware of my
sins, they can be transformed. And preparing the way of the Lord is a matter of
transformation.
Going to
confession is part of this.
We have confession
here every Saturday. Just a reminder that confession for Catholics is required at
least once a year. I myself try to go at least once a month, I try to be
available to hear confessions for people, not just Saturday afternoon, but
whenever is convenient for you. You can call me up, and you really should be
able to call up any Catholic Church and ask for a priest to hear your confession
at a time convenient for you, at a mutually convenient time. Preparing the way
of the Lord is not just a superficial exercise.
And paving
the road is not just a superficial exercise. It involves digging beneath the
surface first. But also in our case, we don't have to be scared of digging
beneath the surface because the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Jesus is there and he
comes to renew us and to keep what is good within us. It is urgent that we
prepare the road before it gets too cold.
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