Homily: Second Sunday of Advent (C)
Luke 3:1-6
8 December 2024
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez
We often hear the expression “To straighten things out…” or “To straighten someone out!” Why do we bother to do this? When we use this for objects perhaps the typical translation in Filipino will be ” ayosin” or “i-derecho” which suggests restoring something to order or to what was originally intended. For people and situations, it often means to correct or fix what seemingly is crooked; if not seriously deal with something that has become a mess.
I think this is important for us to understand so we see the value of the images presented to us today both in the First Reading and in the Gospel… “levelling the mountains, filling in the gorges and straightening the paths…” (Baruch 5:7) All of it is done to allow a swifter, safer, and more certain journey back home. In Baruch, it is Jerusalem’s children who were led away by the enemy that will be swiftly returned to her. In the gospel passage it is about God coming to meet His people to save them. There is a presupposition of a painful separation and the promise of a joyful and much awaited reunion. Baruch writes: “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery…” (Baruch 5: 1) He tells her to stand up and gaze in the distance to watch her beloved children being gathered by God to bring them back to her. And they come resplendent with God’s glory like royalty. What a beautiful image! If we have ever lost a loved one to sickness, old age or tragedy, imagine being able to meet them again as healthy, whole, youthful and happy? This is actually what we look forward to when all of us, God’s children, are reunited with God our Father in heaven for eternity.
Obviously, since we are all still here together at mass (listening to this homily that should not be more than 8 minutes according to Pope Francis, we are not there yet! We are merely looking forward to that day in faith. For now, we must go through this period of waiting and expectation — very similar to what the Church tries to emphasise each Advent Season — waiting for the Lord. However, the Second Reading (Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11) and the Gospel (Luke 3:1-6) this Second Sunday of Advent bring to light the element of HOW we must conduct ourselves as we wait. The gospel starts off enumerating the names and territories of the powers that be in the time of Jesus. It is the same political and religious circumstance wherein John the Baptist began his mission. He preached a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” crying out, “Prepare the way for the Lord and make straight His paths”. (Luke 3:4) John calls the people to straighten out their lives. He is telling them that the requisite for ultimate relief from their suffering and oppression was first and foremost, personal renewal by repenting of their sins and radically changing their perspective on their relationship with God and others.
That message holds true for us today as well. We have to admit that the wrong choices we made have led us down dangerous and difficult paths that endangered our relationship with God and others. There are surely certain valleys in our lives that need to be filled in; a number of mountains and hills that need to be made low; a few rugged lands that shall be made plain and still some rough countries that need to become broad valleys. By our own initiative and by the grace of God, we can pave the way for God to meet His people and for others to find their way back to Christ. Perhaps we have been feeble, weak, or frightened? Perhaps we have allowed ourselves to be in a spiritual dryness long enough to get out of it? Maybe we have been neglectful of how we have been treating our loved ones, or irresponsible of how we spend our time, or how we have maintained such a pessimistic attitude about life. Some of us are simply stonewalling our way through life.
Advent is an opportune time to remind us to pray for the grace to acknowledge our personal sins and our contribution to social sins that we may repent and make amends for. Such a disposition of humility and openness, allows us to enjoy fully the promises of the Lord not only those from of old and those in the future but more so, ‘God’s adventing’ in the here and now.
We all have a journey to make this Advent; we all have a journey to return home to the way of living and being that God desires for us. Whatever our story, whatever our journey through life has been up to this point, let us carry on and strive to make straight our relationship with God and others, strong in the hope of God’s promise of restoration in Him. We are “confident of this, that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1: 6)
Sunday Gospel Reflections 