Prepare a way for the Lord, homily for Second Sunday of Advent Year C

Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent Year C

by Fr. Tommy Lane

Think of the work that would be involved in leveling all the hills around this parish and filling up the valleys with them. Think of all the work that would be involved in straightening the winding roads around here and giving a smooth surface to them all. It would be frightening to think of it. Leveling the mountains and filling in the valleys, straightening the roads and giving them a smooth surface is what John the Baptist said we would have to do to prepare for the Lord. Of course he was not talking about the hills or roads of Palestine. He was talking about the hills and roads in the heart of every person in every century that wants to meet the Lord. To meet the Lord we need to prepare our hearts. What are the mountains and hills in our hearts that need to be leveled? We could think of pride and greed. So many people are remarking that we have become a very selfish greedy nation. What are the valleys in our hearts and lives that need to be filled in? We could think of trying to overcome an addiction or lack of confidence in oneself. What are the crooked roads in our hearts that need to be straightened? We could think of lying and deceitfulness and being dishonest with others. What are the uneven surfaces on the roads of our hearts that need to be resurfaced? We could think of bad language and being a bother to other people. How do we level these mountains and hills, fill these valleys, straighten these crooked roads and resurface them?

Paul gave us a remedy when he wrote to the Philippians which we heard in our second reading,

“My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognize what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.” (Phil 1)

What he says is to increase our love more and more, to improve our knowledge and deepen our perception, in other words grow in love of God and neighbor and improve our knowledge of our faith and our knowledge of Christ.

You might say to me we are doing that. Yes, we are. We are all open to God and we are all generous. But we all only go so far because sometimes we don’t think deeply enough about what it means to follow Jesus. Or when it gets a bit close to bone we can invent all sorts of excuses and make all sorts of defenses to maintain our half converted hearts. Sometimes we can put up a good fight to keep God’s grace away! So what happens then? God in his all-wise plan for us allows a catastrophe to bring us to our senses. It is not that God wishes a disaster on us, no. God only wants what is good for us. It would be unfair to expect God to come and wave a magic wand and prevent all kinds of disasters. God is not a magician. God has given us freedom. But when something does happen it can be a lever to help us think again about our attitudes and how we live. The spiritual writers say that when we are broken internally it can be an opportunity for great spiritual growth. When all our supports and defenses are knocked down there are possibilities for drawing closer to God through that experience of vulnerability.

When a disaster like that happens it can act like John the Baptist preaching to us, asking us to prepare a way for the Lord, stirring up people’s consciences, helping to lay low the mountains and hills, fill the valleys, straighten the roads and give them smooth surfaces. But when it happens we have a choice. We can allow God’s grace to work and allow the mountains to be leveled and the valleys filled in, the crooked roads straightened and the uneven surfaces to be smoothened. Or we can prefer things as they used to be. We might say, ‘it was better before’ and try to go back to the old ways of living and thinking and doing things. We can surrender to God and grow to become what he has called us to be or we can remain stubborn and refuse to grow from this grace-filled opportunity. .

If we surrender to God’s call to us during that time of brokenness we will be transformed into much more beautiful people. When we die with the Lord we rise to new life with him. When we do meet the Lord in a deep way we will be changed. It is impossible to meet the Lord and remain the same. If you meet the Lord through some experience of brokenness you will know it. You will be different afterwards. Having met the Lord, it will come more naturally to you to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.

This homily was delivered when I was engaged in parish ministry in Ireland before joining the faculty of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland.

More homilies for the Second Sunday of Advent Year C

Advent - Preparing our hearts for the the Second Coming of Jesus