2nd Sunday of Advent year C
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 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”( Lk3:1-6). Taken from today’s Sunday gospel for 2nd Sunday of Advent.
1. The season of advent is a time of hope and joyful expectations in the midst of our sorrows. The first reading of this Sunday begins by inviting Jerusalem to take off her robe of sadness and put on splendour and glory of God. The prophet Baruch assures the people that God will do something new and favourable for them. The gospel shows the realization of that prophecy. God intervened in human history to invite man to a partnership for salvation.
2. The gospel begins with some historic data, mentioning the time of God’s intervention. It was in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontus Pilate was the governor of Judea, while Herod was the tetrach of Galilee during the high priesthood of Anas and Caiaphas. At that time, the Word of God overlooked all these important personalities and went to the desert, to an obscure man named John. God charged him with the responsibility of waking the consciences of the people to make them ready for the new era that the prophet has announced. By doing this God underlines the fact that, even though the human society needs influential personalities for its leadership, God does not necessarily need politicians and great men of God to realize his plan for the salvation of the world. God needs simple folks, as simple as they are, to partner with him for the birth of a new era.
3. What is our role in this partnership? Our role, according to John and Isaiah, is to prepare the way of the Lord and make straight his path so that he can come to us without obstructions. How will this be done? Four things: √. Fill up every valley.√. Bring down every mountain and hill. √. Make crooked ways straight. √. Make rough ways smooth. What is described here is the exact topography of Israel. One will certainly need a bulldozer to accomplish these tasks if the works were to be physical. But no, this work will be done in our own lives and not outside.
4. In some cultures, when someone dies, those close to him or her are expected to put on garments of sorrow for a fixed number of days or months. After the mourning period, the ceremony of putting off the mourning garment is normally performed with a feasting. The garment of sorrow is also worn when terrible things happen or when people wish to express sorrow for sin. The taking off of the robe of sorrow will imply a radical conversion, an abandonment of what does not correspond to the glory of God in our lives. These are the mountains and hills, the valleys, and crooked or rough roads. When these are dealt with, one can begin to experience the garment of glory. We must courageously put on the garment of glory. This might be difficult, but it is the only way. I know a missionary who loved his mission so much, but he developed a vice. He fell in love with alcohol. No amount of preaching could stop him from his love with alcohol. One day, his co-missionaries asked him to choose between leaving the mission or leaving alcohol. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up. He said, “I prefer my mission to alcohol.” He got up, went to his room , brought out all the bottles of alcohol and submitted all to the community. From that day on, he stopped drinking alcohol. He moved from garment of sorrow to garment of glory. Those who struggle with addictions: to sex, pornography, alcohol, drug, lies and cheating, etc, can use this advent to put off their garment of sorrow and put on the garment of glory like the brave missionary.
5. Your robe of splendour and glory is ready in God’s hand. Drop your garment of sorrow. Make no effort to manage the old garment by justifying your sins as human weakness because the new robe cannot be worn on top of the old. Have the courage to be reconciled with God and man and break free from compromising situations no matter how beneficial they may seem to you. Make this advent a historic, as one that marks the end of one serious vice or sin in your life.
©Vitalis Anaehobi
08/12/24
