Sunday, December 5, 2021

 

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

(Baruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:4-6.8-11; Luke 3:1-6)

Everyone has heard of global warming. Scientists say that temperatures across the earth are rising. Those obsessed with the issue believe that warming spells disaster by the end of the century. They see the oceans rising to cover the coastal areas and dislocating billions of people. They anticipate stronger storms along with longer dry spells. This message is as threatening as John's in the gospel.

John the Baptist is not new to readers of the Gospel of Luke. He greets Jesus when the two are forming in the wombs of their mothers. Both also preach the need for personal reform with the coming of the kingdom of God. However, their messages are not identical. John emphasizes the negative more than Jesus. For John when the day of the Lord comes, the unreformed will be destroyed like chaff in the furnace.

However, even to John, those who repent have a hopeful future. The first reading describes what this future will be like. It depicts the hope of Jerusalem at the end of the exile. The exiles will come from different places freed from both the scorn and chains of their captors. They will be singing for joy that they have witnessed the glory of the Lord.

In the second reading Saint Paul gives the Philippians an idea of ​​the personal reform required. He especially emphasizes love as the way of life. He says that Christian love has to flourish in " in knowledge and every kind of perception." By these words Paul indicates a simple, unsophisticated spirituality. He wants the disposition of Christians towards others to be more concerned with virtue than with material things. We frequently sees the lack of this kind of perception at Christmas time. Parents often rush to buy gifts their children ask for, even if they are extravagant like iPads and PlayStations. But the same parents often do not provide their children with patience, affection, and good example. One can imagine how their children will turn out as adults. If they are not corrected, they will likely be unappreciative and demanding. A piece of recent news shows this lack of spiritual perception. A couple of years ago some wealthy parents paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to have their children accepted to the most prestigious universities in the country. Obviously these parents did not consider that they were teaching their children that money is worth more than study.

The gospel begins today with John's placement in the history of both Israel and the world. We are reminded of a similar placement for Jesus when he is born. Saint Luke, the evangelist most concerned with history, is indicating the importance of John. As important as Jesus? Not for long. In addition to mentioning the leadership of the world when Jesus is born, Luke recounts his genealogy dating from Adam. John is great because he is the last prophet to announce the coming of the kingdom of God. After John, Jesus introduces the kingdom with healings, other marvelous deeds, and preaching the wisdom of God. Comparing the two is like first seeing the beauty of the countryside and then the glory of the mountains. John's message is worth heeding, but it is only a prelude to the wisdom of Jesus.

It is said that it is easier to listen to a prophet than to live with one. The prophets are so obsessed with their message that they cannot relax. John seems no exception to this rule. He is demanding and unaffectionate.  Anyway, we want to follow him for a bit. For he guides us to Jesus.