Second Sunday of Advent B
By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins. Isaiah 40:1-2
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, hat with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard "delay," but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9
John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark 1:6-8
Piety
“With the Lord one day is like a thousand years.” Our piety takes a moment of time and makes it worth a lifetime. We are with the Lord by the goodness of our lives. When the Lord finally comes, the world as we know it will pass away. The Lord gives meaning to our lives. Our piety makes us eager to be found without spot or blemish in our lives. We realize there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed when the Lord comes. Thus we strive to live our lives blamelessly. There is nothing we would not try to do for the Lord. Our piety brings us to a high mountain where the Lord feeds his flock. We cry out to the world the presence of the Lord of hosts. He brings forgiveness for our sins. Our piety knows the expiation of our sins by the Lord. Our goodness proclaims the presence of the Lord in our lives.
Study
We study the presence of God in human flesh. God loves us so much that he wants to be one of us in his own flesh and blood. We open our hearts to what the Lord can do for us. He makes us his own. We spend Advent preparing ourselves for his coming to save us. No earthly endeavor can keep us from meeting Christ in the lives of those around us. Heavenly wisdom will gain us admittance to the company of Christ. Our very humanness makes us one with him. The fullness of our humanity makes him present in who we are. We are created to the image and likeness of God in Christ.
Action
We hurry on to meet Christ in his birth as one of us. The nine months of Mary’s carrying Christ in her womb are replaced with the four weeks of our Advent when we await with bated breath for his special coming into our lives. We hasten the coming of Christ by the eagerness of our hearts rejoicing at our hope of his coming. He will bring us a new heaven and a new earth and we look forward to the fulfillment of what our hearts desire. Christmas greetings are sent out to those we love. Gifts are readied for the coming. Plans are made to make the celebration of his birth into our world as special as it can be. John the Baptist was the messenger that went before Christ. We are the messengers of the goodness of each other. We try to make straight the paths of each other. We treat each other as mightier than ourselves as we await the Christ to be revealed in each other’s goodness. John baptized with water. We baptize with the spirit of Christ who lives in the goodness of our hearts. Thus we behold the joy which comes to us from God in his willingness to be one of us. Thus we hasten the coming of the Lord into our lives.
