Homily For The Second Sunday In Advent, Yr. B. December 10, 2023
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“Be ashamed when you sin, don’t be ashamed when you repent. Sin is the wound, repentance is the medicine. Sin is followed by shame; repentance is followed by boldness. Satan has overturned this order and given boldness to sin and shame to repentance.” -St. John Chrysostom
Sunday Readings
My Dearest Friends In Christ,
Today is the second Sunday in this penitential period of Advent.
The readings of today assure us that God is ever ready to forgive us no matter how far we have gone from Him. We only need to fill the valleys of emptiness and level the mountain of sin in our lives and seek His face.
There is a Spiritual Reward For Repentance
The first reading reminds us, sinners, that repentance is not an act of benevolence to God, but a rewarding activity for the sinner. This is very clear from the prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading who prophesies the oracle of God reminding Jerusalem (us) that her(our) sins are expiated and that she(we) has received double blessings from the hand of the Lord. In Christ Jesus, every sinner gets a reward for repentance. This divine assurance is what every sinner needs to know because the fear of abandoning sin is often the most difficult decision a sinner can make. This is because there exists an emptiness in the sinner that abandoning sin exposes. This is why many would find it difficult to change or repent, but would rather live under the manipulative force of the devil who promises false self-sufficiency and vainglories that will, in the end, destroy the sinner. The Lord assures us today, that you have more to gain if you take that bold step to repent. This will free you from the manipulation and deception of sin. It is indeed a very difficult decision to make, but as St. Paul reminded us last Sunday, we have received every spiritual blessing needed to overcome every sin. The blessing that comes with embracing God is a double reward that truly satisfies the longing of the human soul. Do not worry dear friend, about what you will lose, but think more about what you stand to gain in Christ.
To begin this process of repentance, we must fill the valley of emptiness created by sin with the virtues of Godliness. Virtues are giving way to vices in our world today. Values are fast disappearing and viciousness is taking over. This is the time to embrace the virtues of love, justice, tolerance, peace, the values of respect for each other, our common brotherhood, and hospitality. These must fill the valley in our lives. To reduce every mountain of sin we must seek to reconcile with one another and with God. Enmity with God and with each other is a great mountain or barrier. It builds up the more we persist in sin. This is the time to level it.
Do Not Procrastinate Repentance Because of God’s Patience
Paul assures us of God’s forgiveness in the second reading, when he says, “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.” Patience with sinners is one of the beautiful attributes of God. With the gods of the heathens, there is no second chance. But here we worship a God so generous in forgiving and abounding in mercy for sinners. We often abuse God’s generosity and patience when we procrastinate in repenting and live in the obstinacy of sin. Paul reminds us that conducting ourselves in holiness and devotion is the greatest means of preparing ourselves for that unknown day of the Lord’s coming. Would He find your heart worthy of His dwelling if He comes back to you this Christmas or would you lock Him out in the cold winter of sinfulness? God needs a beautiful space (manger)in your life. Make a room for Him. This is why you have this season to prepare for His coming.
Prepare Your Soul For His Coming
The Gospel reading is from the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. Mark is the first gospel to be written. It is unique, as it is the primary source of the ministry of Jesus with no accounts of His early life nor infancy narrative. The passage we heard today, describes the inauguration of the new era of grace heralded by John the Baptist. John appeared in the desert as a messenger to prepare the people of Israel for a special encounter with the coming Messiah. We are the people of the new Israel, and we are the ones to whom this gospel is addressed. We are the ones called to prepare a way for the coming of Christ. John’s prophetic message corroborates the oracle of Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 40:3) in the first reading with the invitation to make the path of the coming Messiah straight, through repentance from sin. Like the people of old who went out to receive the baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins from John in the river Jordan, we all have received baptism and forgiveness from sin. But unlike the many who acknowledged their sins, many of us are still living in denial of our sins. True repentance begins with a sincere self-acknowledgment and deep contrition for sin. Like the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea who went to John to be baptized, let’s go to the confessional to meet the priest to make peace with God and reconcile with Him. Like John the Baptist, St. Francis de Sales says, “The priest is the angel whom God sends to make forgiveness real and enables divine reconciliation to be experienced.” Many things might have gone crooked in your life. This is the period to make straight the path of the Lord. If we want to see the kindness of God and earn His salvation, we must embrace the holiness of life and say goodbye to a sinful life.
Let us, like John, live above the self. By being self-centered, we fail to acknowledge God’s presence. John wasn’t interested in the praise or admiration of others. He was interested in preparing the way for Someone else, and he didn’t let personal ambition get in the way of doing his job well. Let us put God at the center of our lives so that what has gone crooked might be made straight again.
I keep you and your family always in my prayers. ©Clem C. Aladi (2024)
