Dec 2, 2024 5 min read

2nd Sunday of Advent (Year C) – 8 December 2024

A Note on Advent

Advent has a twofold character and the Scripture Readings are chosen to reflect this:

it looks back with joy to the first Christmas when Christ’s first coming to us is remembered;

it looks forward with hope to Christ’s second coming when the end of time will bring liberation.

(cf. General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 39)

Both aspects are a cause of joy and hope in the midst of life’s ups-&-downs. Despite life’s drama and turmoil, we can count on God to put things right. Be alert to his presence.

Quick Glance

Theme: God is acting in our time.
Key Message: Nothing shall block the way of the Lord. Watch for his action in your life.
Readings Summary:
- First Reading: Baruch 5:1-9 – Jerusalem will set aside sorrow and distress. Nothing will block God from restoring their original joy and glory.
- Psalm: Psalm 125 (126) – A song of joy for the Lord’s great deeds.
- Second Reading: Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 – The Good News: God has begun a good work and will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes.
- Gospel: Luke 3:1-6 – John the Baptist declares that the way for the Lord will be made straight and that all will see God’s salvation.

Gospel Text (Luke 3:1-6)

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’”

Overview of the Gospel

John the Baptist emerges in the wilderness. His message echoes Baruch’s (& Isaiah’s) prophecy. He is the voice in the wilderness calling people to prepare for what is coming. God is about to act. It is unstoppable. Nothing will be an obstacle: not mountain, not valley, not crooked or rough way. All will see the salvation of God.

Contextual Reflections

Snapshot: Advent calls us to remember that it is God’s world. Neither mountain nor hill, no valley, no rough or twisted road will prove a final block to God’s action.

Life is about more that what we see on the surface. God is present even in the poorest of circumstances. When the Prophet Baruch were speaking, Jerusalem had been exiled. When John the Baptist was speaking, the Romans occupied the Holy Land. Yet, they proclaimed that even in the least promising of times that God was still acting. Indeed, the events at Bethlehem and those that followed would show God acting far beyond what could have been imagined.

The Season of Advent calls us to faith and wonder. For us who know the Gospel, it also calls us to gratitude. These are the attitudes that ‘prepare a way for the Lord’.

Connecting the Gospel to Today’s Cultural Context

Snapshot: John’s proclamation of God’s action, even in the wilderness, challenges modern hopelessness.

We live in a time where individualism is leading to isolation, anxiety and the waning of hope. We live in a time where objective truth is questioned by “my truth”, where the connections between us are undermined by “my rights”, where “the good life” is reduced to the quest for material gain. God is missing, but not missed - as Fr Michael Paul Gallagher once remarked.

The action of God is clearly articulated in today’s scripture readings. We are invited to receive this word and to start looking for the (small but significant) signs of God’s action in our own lives, just as God acted in Bethlehem (apparently small, but with ultimate significance). We are invited to prayer and religious practice to inform our way of looking at the world so that we might see all of life’s happenings and history as being in God’s keeping… and channelling God’s love. Advent offers a counter-narrative, encouraging us to pause, reflect, and to open our hearts to acknowledge and receive the Lord, thereby preparing a way for him.

Themes for Meditation

Faith: Can I practice the habit of being thankful to God for the good things of any day? Can I cultivate my awareness of where God might be present? Can I explore my trust in God despite the difficulties that have come my way?
Preparation: What can I do to give this coming Christmas a deeper sense of meaning for me personally? and for my friends and family?
Humility: In what ways can I cultivate humility to recognise the presence of God’s grace and healing over the years?

Prayer

Merciful Father, as we journey through this Advent season, grant us the grace to heed John the Baptist’s call to repentance. Help us to prepare our hearts and lives for the coming of Your Son. May we remove the obstacles that hinder our relationship with You and strive to live in accordance with Your will. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Quotes for Reflection

“Advent is a journey towards Bethlehem. May we let ourselves be drawn by the light of God made man.” – Pope Francis
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness is the voice of all who preach the truth in a world of falsehood.” – St. Augustine

Contemplative Action

This week, identify one habit or attitude that distances you from God. Commit to changing this aspect of your life, seeking God’s grace through prayer and, if appropriate, the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let this act of repentance be a step towards preparing the way for the Lord in your heart.

Liturgical Calendar for the Week

8 December: Second Sunday of Advent
9 December: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity)
10 December: Weekday of Advent
11 December: Weekday of Advent
12 December: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Optional Memorial)
13 December: St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (Memorial)
14 December: St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Memorial)