2nd Sunday in Advent

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT- JOHN THE BAPTIST SUNDAY 

One day a man spotted a beautiful lamp and as he picked it up and rubbed it, there came out a genie looking at him and said, "Ask me for anything and I will grant you..." The man thought for a while and said, "I need a spectacular job and a job that no man ever succeeded at..." What did you say? No man ever succeeded at? The man said, "yes. I need a job that no man ever succeeded at" you know what happened. Genie made him a house wife. 

Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the second Sunday in Advent. And this Sunday is also called 'John the Baptist' Sunday. John the Baptist the fore runner of our Lord Jesus Christ came to prepare the way of the Lord. His message was, "The Lord is coming. Let's prepare His way". 

Today's gospel passage contains three messages namely Calling, Healing and Living out the Message. 

1. CALLING: Once a prisoner who lived in a solitary confinement for years and who never saw or spoke to anyone, saw a tiny ant coming into his cell. The man was so happy to see that tiny ant and he put it in the palm of his hand and was amazed at its beauty and fed that ant with one or two grains. He was transformed by seeing an ant.  Then one day he realized that it had taken him ten years of solitary confinement to know the beauty of that little creature. The same kind of experience happened to El Greco the Spanish painter. One day as he was sitting in his dark room, his friends called him out saying, "The Sun is shining and come out to the light". He said, "No I will not because it would disturb the light that is shining within me'.   Those who intensely search for the Lord will always find Him. Every baptized person is given the gift to find Christ through the means of prayers and others spiritual exercises. When we look for Him, He will manifest Himself to us. Once we experience the Lord, the like John the Baptist, we too will begin to call others to the light namely to Christ the Lord. 

2. HEALING: Once while three monks were going to a village to preach the Good News, came to a river bank and realized that they had to cross the river to go to the village and then they saw a beautiful woman also standing on the bank wanting to cross the river. So, one of the monks, out of charity and love carried the woman on his shoulders and thus all crossed the river. When the monks came back to their monastery, the other two monks went to all other monks and said what happened. Then the others came to him and said, "we monks are not allowed to touch a woman and you carried her on your shoulders". They criticized him and it went on and on for many days. Then one day, the monk called the other two monks and looked at them and said, "you know what, I carried that woman and let her go many days ago and why are you still carrying her in your hearts and minds?' Healing comes when we leave certain things behind. When we hold on to unholy things of ours and others, we distant ourselves from Christ but instead when we leave our old ways of hatred, revenge and jealousy, we become new in Christ Jesus. 

3. LIVING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE: Once a pious Catholic had a neighbor who never went to church or did anything spiritual in life. Every Sunday when Joe went to Chruch, the other man went fishing. Every time the man saw Joe, he always said to Joe, "Joe, I am going fishing and are you going to join me?' Joe used to say, "I am going to Church". Then one day, the neighbor looked at Joe and said, "Joe, how come every time I go fishing I invite you and you never invite me to Church". That day Joe experienced something new in him.  Living out the gospel message means helping others to know the love and kindness of God in Christ. Today so many people do not come to church and so many do not experience the love, kindness and forgiveness of Christ our Lord. It's not because they are bad or they unholy, it's because they don't feel welcomed. We do not extend Christ love to them. Let us become John the Baptist and call them to the Lord. Amen.