Homily for the Week of December 7, 2008

Second Sunday of Advent, 2008
Is. 40:1–5, 9–11; 2 Pt 3:8–14; Mk 1:1–8

While this weekend is the 2nd week of Advent, we also remember a person who is associated with Christmas. Today is the feast of St. Nicholas. Most Americans know that somehow our Christmas figure Santa Claus is based on ''Good St. Nick.'' The name ''Santa Claus'' is an anglicized version of the Dutch name for St. Nicholas, ''Sinterklaas.'' In the early fourth century, St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra, a town, now in ruins, in Turkey. He began his life and time as bishop under the persecution of Roman emperors. Many legends grew up around him, all based on his practice of charity and care for the poor.

One legend is of a poor man with three daughters who he could not marry off because he was too poor to provide a dowry. In secret St. Nicholas saw that the father received three bags of gold so that he could provide a dowry for each of his daughters. This in a way began our tradition of giving gifts at Christmas. This weekend we also remember the tragic event of Pearl Harbor, a moment fading from our collective memory, but a moment that is remembered as a turning point in U.S. and world history.

Our Bible reading for today, however is not about St. Nicholas or Pearl Harbor but about John the Baptist and the Jewish world at his time. Judea was an occupied land, and the Romans were ruthless rulers. Many of the Jews that had come to power were seen as slaves of Rome, sinful and corrupt. Into this environment John brought a word of hope. He announced that God was coming. He prepared a road for Jesus. Many of you are familiar with road construction.
The first job in building a new highway is to clear the right of way. There may be trees to cut down and stumps to pull up. Sometimes buildings must be torn down or moved. The right of way then is ready for rough grading. At this stage, earth movers, which can dig up a roomful of dirt in one scoop, are used. They cut into the hills, carry the earth along, and drop it into the valleys to make a road with gentle grades.

Our first reading today gives us a hint of road construction about 4000 years ago. There were no earth movers or Bull dozers, but somehow the valleys were filled in and the mountains were cut down so that "the crooked ways might be made straight and a road for the lord." be built. It seems that John the Baptist is the construction foreman. Who was this John the Baptist?
John the Baptist was the son of Zachary and his wife Elizabeth, a cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Jesus was his cousin. He was probably born southwest of Jerusalem after the Angel Gabriel had told Zachary that his wife would bear a child even though she was an old woman. John left the village and went to the desert of Judea to live as a hermit. Many like him did this to escape what they considered was the sinfulness they saw in their country. When he was thirty he began to preach on the banks of the Jordan River and invited people to be baptized. He attracted large crowds.

John baptized his cousin Jesus in the waters of the Jordan River. Jesus left to preach in Galilee. John continued preaching in the Jordan valley. John attracted large crowds. The political authorities were suspicious of John. John got into serious trouble, however, when he criticized Herod for an adulterous relationship with Herodias, the wife of Philip his half brother. Salome, daughter of Herodias, danced at a birthday party for Herod. He was so pleased that he offered to grant Salome any wish. She requested the head of John the Baptist. Herod carried out her wish.

John inspired many of his followers to follow Jesus. Among these were Andrew and his brother John. He became convinced that his cousin Jesus was really the Savior and Son of God, and wanted everyone to prepare the way for Jesus.

John the Baptist was Jesus’ messenger. John was announcing a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins to prepare for Jesus’ coming. John had a unique and much needed message for the people of his time and for us today.

Some people went to John because they were spiritually bankrupt. They were empty, and they hoped that John could fill the empty place.

Some people went to John because they had it all, but it wasn't enough. They had money and homes, but they wanted more. But then, when they got more, their hunger continued unabated. Nothing made them happy. They went to John hoping that he could pull together the broken pieces of their lives, and make them whole.

These reasons for coming to John sound like some of the reasons that people turn to Jesus today. Each of us or various reasons feel within us a need for change or conversion.
All of us have experienced someone telling us how to change our lives. This call to change our lives may be the only one that some of us have ever heard. John’s announces, discusses, and invites people to think about a new way of life. And that way of life was prepared for us by Jesus.
As Christians, we have the role of preparing the way of the Lord, not only for ourselves but for others. Before we help prepare others, we must acknowledge our own sins and seek forgiveness We must examine our inner sins. Advent is a time for this preparation and for our renewal. John the Baptist came to straighten out the road for Jesus, to prepare his way. We too may need to get the road of our lives straightened and the interstate highways of our hearts ready so that we take the right road or be able to get out of the ruts of our life.

I want to finish these thoughts by a story that my uncle told me years ago. He was a soldier in the First World War. He mentioned that it was Christmas eve in the occupied Netherlands. The military commander of the town lifted the curfew to allow persons to go to Midnight Mass. Just before Mass a group of German soldiers marched into the church to go to Mass with the Americans. No Dutch or Americans would ever associate with the German soldiers, let alone eat with them. Even when these soldiers gave candy to children they would spit in their face. But at this Christmas eve, American, Dutch and German soldiers came to kneel at the communion rail, and no one objected. For a brief moment all was well; enemies talked.

This Advent let us welcome back into our lives someone whom we have not related with for a long time; and on the other hand, let us also welcome into our lives someone who comes to us to renew a relationship. And finally, each one of us in this church today knows of a Catholic who is right now inactive. In kindness reach out to that person, inviting that person to return. If you and I do not prepare the way for the Lord, who will?