HOMILY FOR SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B. 06.12.2020.
Readings: Isaiah 40:1-5.9-11; Psalm 85; 2Peter
3:8-14 and Mark 1:1-8. 
Second Advent Candle
THE SECOND CANDLE OF ADVENT
The liturgy of
today calls us to reflect on GOD’S LOVE for humanity, as God was moved to bring
His people out of exile because of His love for them. He has seen the suffering
of those who pass through exilic experience, either out or within the nation
and has chosen to redeem them through His Son. In view of this, we hear the
voices of two great prophets foretelling the coming of the His Son (incarnation)
and emphasizing on same theme, “Prepare the way for the Lord…” In a different
manner, St. Peter calls it “The day of
the Lord.” Certainly, we know Christ will come again in majesty (Parousia),
but how soon and how prepared are we?
Last Sunday, the
prophet Isaiah brought to us hope of Christ’ coming when the prophet prayed
that God tears down the heavens and come down quickly to save the heart broken
people of Israel, which was realized in the incarnation (God took flesh and
dwells among us). Through the prophet, God speaks to us this week saying, “Comfort my people, comfort them. Speak
tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended…” God wants His messengers to speak comfort to
his people. Comfort comes with tender words spoken to the heart like a young
man wooing his girl (Gen 34:3).
At the point of
distress, suppression and oppression like the case of our dear country Nigeria,
what the people wants to hear are consoling words from the ministers of God, passing
through their exiles, both bloody and un-bloody war in life. So many hearts are
full of hurts and it is important for these hurting hearts hear a word of
comfort from God’s ministers. In as much as we may never lack audience when we
preach to broken hearts, in no way should we deceive God’s people. Rather, let
it be in the heart of every minister that “God
will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he
will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young.” Whoever does not love or have the flock at
heart cannot keep to these words. God’s messengers must speak to the heart.
Interestingly in
the first reading is the voice that cries in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight
in the desert a highway for our God.” My experience of travelling within
Brazil in some cities where road passes through rocks as niddle passes through
cloths gives me a better view of this passage, that whatever seems to be wrong
with the road must be corrected. It takes an expert in engineering to construct
such road, penetrating rocks to construct road/tunnel. There is something much more than this; it is the construction of the
road to the hearts, a heart that
knows how to love and forgive. The heart is where the real preparation of
advent must take place. The heart is the Bethlehem, the manger where Christ
will be born on Christmas day. Even if the heart is as terrible as Nigeria
roads, it can be constructed.
Similarly in the
Gospel, the last prophet before Christ, John the Baptist speaks of this
preparation while preaching a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins he cited
Isaiah, the great prophet of old saying, “Prepare
the way for the Lord, make his path straight.” Simply put, repentance and reconciliation are basic requirements to
welcome Christ at Christmas. This is what Advent is all about, preparing us
to receive Christ. This is what the prophets Isaiah and John emphasized on when
they spoke of the coming of Christ, his incarnation. This is what the Apostle Peter
meant when he spoke of the coming of Christ in majesty, the day of the Lord
like a thief.
St. Peter in the
second reading tells us “The Lord is not
slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing towards you,
not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance…” He
assures us that Christ will certainly come. God will keep His promise, and
without delay according to His timing. Man’s
timing is “Chronos,” that is,
sequential while the process of calculating God’s timing is “Kairos,” that is, timeless or ageless,
it is a moment or period. Biblically, Kairos
is considered as the time required for conversion or repentance. On this
note that Peter said, God does not wish
that any should perish but that all should reach repentance. Christ also
affirmed this when he said, “…the kingdom
of God is close at hand, repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). At this point, Peter reveals to us some of
God’s glorious and loving heart. That Christ has not returned in majesty is
that all should come to repentance because God is not willing that any should
perish. Peter’s statements reflects God’s heart of love for the world in
John 3:16, and his compassionate sorrow even in the righteous judgment of the
wicked just as Ezekiel 33:11 “I have no interest in the death of the wicked…”
Dear friends in Christ, the love God has for sinners to repent and have
their hearts prepared to welcome His Son is the meaning of the second advent
candle, which signifies love. This is the voice of the prophet Isaiah, crying
in the wilderness. It is the voice of John the Baptist saying, “Prepare the way
for the Lord…” Let us not get carried away with the flashy things that comes
with the season of Christmas and miss the true meaning of it. Of course, this is the time to light the candle of
love in our hearts, is the time to care for the broken hearted and the time to
be brothers and sisters to each other. Maranata!
Happy Sunday!
Fr. Ken Dogbo,
OSJ
Happy Sunday
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