THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

“There is one among you whom you do not recognize”

 (Jn.1, 6-8.19-28)

Rev. Alexander Díaz

We are celebrating the Third Sunday of Advent, it seems the Gospel is the same we heard from Mark’s mouth last week. In reality, it has similar phrases and you can say it has the same meaning, the preparation for the coming of Jesus and the vigilant listening of the voice that invites us to conversion. 

The Liturgy fully announces   us a big period and it seems that today’s world have lost it and it is of great joy.  St Paul invites us and tells us: “be always happy in the Lord”.  Even though is true we are living times of intense tension and even of dejection. 

There is a huge list of  interminable reasons to feel dejected and sadden, the violence does not cease all over the world, the injustice that cover the life of millions of people, the indifference to the Gospel’s Good News by our satisfied society in its own network, the non-support of the poor and weak. 

So, so many reasons for dejection and sadness.  But today, we have a joyful announcement, as done by Isaiah and Paul at one time.  As St. John Crisostomo said: “Real happiness is found in the Lord. All other things apart from being moveable, do not give us so much joy to prevent the sadness caused by other matters.  Hence, the fear of God will produce it inefficient, because when the fear of God is as it should be, even though you fear,  you also trust in Him and this allows you to acquire the fountain of pleasure and the spring of all joy”. 

 The Prophet Isaiah have profoundly reflected about the true plan of God. This will not be manifested in a brilliant way as men expects, rather it will be known thru an “anointed”, who is worried most of all about the poor of this world.  This salvation will be manifested thru the justice and the praise to a Living God.  

The Apostle Saint Paul wrote to the Thessalonians Community.  He invites them to fully live their lives in God, manifested fully in Jesus Christ, the true joy. The assurance of the closeness of the Lord,  should adhere to all your Christian life,  which is define in three aspects:  the confident and peaceful joy, under all circumstances;  the overcoming of all worries and anguish; the prayer of petition and thanksgiving to the God of peace.  

In today’s Sunday gospel there is a particular phrase that caught my attention, when John responds to the question of the Pharisees: “There is one among you, whom you do not recognize”. (Jn.1,6-8)  and it caught my attention because truly, many of us have not yet discovered the joy of His presence among us, that is why we cannot discover the Joy.  

The text begins saying: “A Man emerged”, John is only described as a man, without any qualifications; the text does not mention his social or religious condition. But his mission is emphasized, which was to give testimony of the light, he was not the light but a witness of the light.

We all wish to be disciples of Jesus, we are called to be witnesses as John was, men and women following John’s humbleness, who did not misunderstood his mission, he did not take merits that were not his, he only call out for us to wait and he showed the light of grace on his mission with perseverance.  

The apparition of John in the Jordan and his impact to the town people, made the top leaders, the ones in authority very nervous.  It is very interesting to see that when the prophets spoke and showed divine authority, the powerful ones got nervous and uncomfortable.

That is the reason why the Jews in Jerusalem sent a committee of priests and Levites to ask him:  ¿Who are you?... John answered with a negative response, he is none of the ones they think, he is not what their traditions believed.  He does not speak at any time of speculations, he simply and straightforward repeats: “I am the voice of one crying out in the dessert”   

Saint Agustin said that the” word” can be recognized by the” voice”. The “voice” is the organ thru which we recognize the word.  The voice, without words is a sound that bothers the ears.  The Lord is the “word” and John is the voice that announces the Lord. John knows very well who Jesus is and he proclaims Him in the dessert.  John is an instrument that God uses to let other know Jesus. 

John  conceived Jesus in his heart, and his mouth spoke of Him.  We all are and should be the voice of the Lord.  We must talk about Jesus, especially now, during the Christmas season.  John is the voice that cries in the dessert and it is fruitful, even though it was not what they were awaiting for, because the voice was not heard as it should have been.  In many occasions we too, have the feeling, the impression of preaching in the dessert. 

The parents who have raised their children as Christians now they see these children not going to church or practicing their faith, they do not want to hear about God, they feel disappointed, guilty and with a feeling of anguish.  ¿Have we preached in the dessert?  No, no, it is not so. All labor, all effort is fruitful, even though many times we don’t see it immediately, but rather, later on in time.  One of the sins of omission, is not to talk about Jesus.

In this season of Advent, we have to prepare our hearts to receive Jesus with joy on Christmas Day.   Saint Agustin said that John cried out so Jesus may come into our hearts, but He will not come unless we “set straight the way of the Lord”. To set straight the way of the Lord is to be always joyful, happy. Saint Paul said: “Rejoice always in the Lord, I repeat, rejoice always”. 

When we talk about joyfully preparing the Christmas feast, we should do it solemnly, with a joyful spirit.  We want to make reference to the happiness that instills itself in our spirit, there, in the place where this joy encounters the communion with the Spirit of God and is shaken by Him.  It is not to close our eyes to the reality, but instead,  to abandon ourselves in the arms of the Lord.

Amen!!

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths”

(Mark 1,1-8)

Rev. Alexander Diaz

Today we begin to read the gospel according to Saint Mark.  The word “Gospel” means “Good News”. Which means, that it is something good, something big, something capable of making us happy, something which causes this vessel of clay to overflow, this and more represents the Holy Gospel. 

The message touches the individual and also touches society as a whole, it touches the body and the soul; it goes way down and touches the deepest part of the Spirit.  The “Good News” which transforms us, that uplifts us.

The “Good News” that make us according to God’s plans, our Creator.  The Bearer and Consumer is Christ.  None other than the Son of God.  He brings us the Good News as we are the direct addresses of this grace. 

This is something very curious, rather odd, the Good News which should make us happy and joyful, begin with a call for penance and conversion.   Nowadays, we are exposed to multiple factors of alignment and real slavery, sometimes is the absolute empire of the scientific reason , badly understood, that suffocates our being, what we are. 

Other times, we install ourselves in a superficial life that does not allow us to reach out and touch our own hearts.  We are only interested in our immediate satisfaction, there is no room for God in our lives.  Frequently, the emptiness left by the absence of God, is filled with the “modern gods”, like money, social prestige, sex, having fun, the standards of living, the consumption of things, etc.

But life’s profound dimension is kept suppressed and it disturbs our relation with God, our relation with our brothers and sisters.   In these days of Advent we have to listen again to the voice of John and we have to recognize our own faults, we have to leave our bad habits behind, and start all over again.  

Be a free, loose and liberated man.  Without palaces, without luxurious clothing, without ornaments, without any kind of ties, to be able to shout to all: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.” (Mc.1,3)  This means to remove the obstacles that prevent  the arrival of the Lord in our lives,  nothing will block the doors of our hearts  to His presence which is coming to liberate us, to free us.   

The Voice of God in the dessert.  This invitation is good news that awakens our hopes, hope that is not a cheap optimism or the search of naive consolation, but rather a way to confront life from our radical trust in God.  A frequent question is: ¿Who are those who prepare the way of the Lord”   They prepare the way of the Lord and open doors to those who make an effort to “make straight His paths”.   

These are the ones who, with a systematic effort are willing to acquire the virtues that quickens the coming of the Lord into their hearts.  Therefore, !Dispose of, remove the selfishness and attachments to material goods and cover yourself with generous and open handed attitudes! Dispose of the insensibility in front of your neighbor’s needs.   Cover yourself with love and charity which become a reality with attitudes and initiatives of your solidarity.  

Get rid of the gossip, the slander,  the defamation, of talking bad behind other peoples’ who are not present to defend themselves,  of obscene, indecent and crude language and cover yourself with a speech that is reverent, that looks to edify, build up, make others look and feel good. Someone who really loves, do not bear to wait, he wants “now”, the presence of his/her loved one. 

If you love God with all your heart, “lower the mountain and hills”, get rid of all obstacles, clean your heart of all sin, vice and bad habits which will prevent Him from coming and staying in your heart. At the same time “make straight the paths” , clothes yourself with Christ and His virtues,  make a great effort to think, love and live like Him.

We should not forget that the continuous effort of conversion will be totally useless and sterile, if we do not go constantly to the Lord in prayer, if we do not turn to the sacraments where we will find the strength and grace we need, where we will find the Lord Himself.  “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”  (Jn. 15,5). 

He will make fruitful all your efforts, if you constantly go to Him and fight with patience and perseverance.  Hence, in all your struggles and efforts, be persistent in your daily prayers, in the constant, intimate dialogue that is your encounter with the Lord, listen to His words.    

We are renovated, transformed, we are children, sons and daughters of the Father.   We are His confidants, we are His friends, we are the heirs of His Glory.  We are heirs of His Kingdom. To all these we call Salvation and we are short. 

The Salvation takes place right now in an admirable manner, but “Tomorrow”, the Great Day of the Lord, will be revealed completely to us.  We have to prepare ourselves, be ready.

 We have to do penance and believe in the Gospel,   AMEN!