Homily   Second Sunday in Advent- December 7, 2003

 

Francis X Meehan shares with us this little tale:

 

Once there was a farming town that could be reached only by a narrow road with a bad curve in it.  There were frequent accidents on the road, especially at the curve, and the preacher would preach to the people of the town to make sure they were Good Samaritans. And so they were, as they would pick the people up on the road, for this was a religious work. One day someone suggested they buy an ambulance to get the accident victims to the town hospital more quickly.  The preacher preached and the people gave, for this was a religious work.

 

Then one day a councilman suggested that the town authorize building a wider road and taking out the dangerous curve.   Now it happened that the mayor had a farm market right at the curve on the road, and he was against taking out the curve.   Someone asked the preacher to say a word to the mayor and the congregation next Sunday about it.  But the preacher and most of the people figured they had better stay out of politics; so next Sunday the preacher preached on the Good Samaritan Gospel and encouraged the people to continue their fine work of picking up the accident victims which they did.

 

This Second Sunday in Advent has God’s Word gives us hope. As a people who wait – and that is our Advent posture – we are given a vision of what we are waiting for.  The prophet Baruch in the first reading give one of the most effective calls to hope that we can find in sacred scripture.  Baruch is writing during a time of enormous suffering (during the exile) and reminds the People of God of the glory to come when Israel is restored to the Promised Land.  The prophet even tells they will be called by a new name – a sure sign of newness and redemption.  They will be called “the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship.”   Baruch’s point is that the People of God will become the embodiment of peace and justice, and Godly glory, not merely named that. And so this message of hope is for the people a vivid and comforting statement about the future of the chosen people

 

Paul’s message of hope in the second reading, the reading to the community at Philippi is different. He is assuring the community that while they have already started living the Gospel – while they are already attempting to be true followers of Jesus, their hope comes from the confident belief that as they await Jesus’ coming in glory, God will continue to work with them and through them.  They are not alone. Paul’s prayer is that as a result of this their knowledge and perception, and their sense of value will increase and increase. They should not worry about the future – God will be with them. 

 

And in the Advent Gospel for this Second Sunday Luke is making the strong point that what is happening – this birth of Jesus – is not an accident or surprise.  Luke situates this coming in history – in the history of the world as well as in the history of salvation.  This has been what was planned. This one that John the Baptist proclaims is the one who will fulfill the prophecy – will bring salvation – will reorient the way people look at things.

This Holy One whose birth we await is the one who is the Son of Justice – who is justice. By Him the paths will be made straight, the poor and the outcast and the downtrodden will be raised up.  All people – not just the well-housed and the lavishly clothed and the powerful and the smart – but all people will be saved by this God.

That is a Word of Hope – that is the message for this Second Advent Sunday.

 

And so the usual question we might wonder about is if this is what we await – this message of hope by Baruch – this salvation described by Luke – how should we wait?

What would out posture be?

 

Patricia Sanchez, a theologian, suggests to us that because he who comes is justice and mercy personified, our waiting for him must be marked by similar justice and mercy.  Because he who comes is the very salvation of God, we who await him must give ourselves over to the work of salvation.

 

And so the best way to wait is to act like the one we await.  And what does this mean for you and me in Advent 2003?

 

We know that there are so many people who homeless this cold weekend. They are not only homeless in the streets of New York City – or in the warm climates that so many poor people escape to for an easier homelessness. There are countless number of people who are sleeping in the abandoned buildings in Asbury Park.  There is one we know of who sleeps in his car. There are others who linger as along as possible in the open areas in the municipal building and when forced to leave wander the streets at night. It is hard to imagine how one could be homeless on nights like this. Just walking to my car on a cold windy night is uncomfortable beyond what I would want. But to sleep in it – or try to? 

 

And so in our goodness we collect coats – and we need to do that! As a matter of fact if you have coats I’d be glad to bring them to Asbury Park – this week we gave out all that we had.  And we find some shelter during the day and we give people a warm drink. And all of that is important and valuable and we need to do it. But if we are to wrap ourselves in the cloak of justice as Baruch tells us then we need to wonder why people are homeless. Of course we are quick to point to their own lifestyles and problems that result in their current state of life. But in fact it is so much more complicated than that: fewer and fewer inexpensive rooms and boarding home; not enough treatment programs for addiction; an inadequate job market; lack of transportation for those who might work further away; discrimination. Our cloak of justice would impel us to investigate as we do our works of charity how we might create a more just place as we await the expected one.

 

And there is the need to be saviors to others as we await the savior. There are those who feel alone and alienated and estranged. And so we would attempt to embrace the others as we can – here we would hope to make people feel welcome – we are sure with our giving tree and our other programs to reach out to others who are marginalized and therefore need saving. But our cloak of justice impels us at the same time to do more: to work to be sure that people don’t feel abandoned by their illness or handicap – making sure for instance that buildings are accessible and the mentally ill are understood;  to work to end the discrimination against people whose sexual preference is not what the church or society or the local club would expect it to be; to work to help the single parent who struggles to parent and guide doesn’t feel left out by a society that too often honors only the so called “perfect” family.

 

We wait the Son of Justice – we hope for salvation. And our hope is sure and certain.  But we cannot put off justice until later.  We need as we wait to be pointers of justice and goodness and salvation by how we live the Gospel now.

 

And so we spend this Second Week of Advent waiting.  Let us wait well.