OUR PERSISTENCE TO HOPE

December 8, 2024 – Second Sunday of Advent

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120824.cfm)

A friend came to me and shared how she finds her life in darkness at the moment. She finds failures in everything she did and she has. These failures include her job, her boyfriend, her family, her friends and herself. She felt confused and hopeless. Her life seems miserable and so she feels unhappy and bitter.

Yet, these situations in her life are spaces for my friend to see life, to experience life and live life where there is always a possibility of failures, of being hurt and of hurting others and also of the certainty of being embraced by a faithful and constant love, by a healing and renewing love of the Lord.

Listening to her, I asked her how she handles all of these. Although she feels that she is in darkness and not happy, yet, she continues to believe in God. She persisted to hope that God would bring her into a life filled with joy, where everything shall also fall into its place.

Herself reminds me of the prophecy of Baruch and of Paul as he wrote a letter to the Philippians. Let us explore briefly the scriptures today and discover how God invites us on this second Sunday of Advent.

The prophecy of Baruch was preached when the Jewish people were exiled in Babylon, where they were maltreated and made into slaves. This exile was a result of their unfaithfulness to God. Their unfaithfulness brought them, consequently, farther from Yahweh. Thus, their life in Babylon was completely a misery. In that land, they were shamed and oppressed. The people were in darkness. Yet, they have realized their sins and unfaithfulness to God. The people began to repent and listened to the prophets.

The recognition of sin led them to ask forgiveness, to turn from their sinful life back to God. This was how Baruch proclaimed his prophecy that at last, the exile shall end. The people shall reclaim their dignity, as they shall come home to Jerusalem. They will be restored, forgiven and given new life filled with abundance, prosperity and joy with God. Indeed, Baruch proclaimed a joyful hope for the people, that their suffering shall end and that darkness shall be conquered by light, and that their shame and guilt will be taken away through God’s mercy.

Moreover, Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while he was chained in a prison cell in Ephesus. The life of Paul at this time was in darkness. His ministry to preach the Gospel and commitment to Jesus brought him into prison.

Paul remembered his friendship with the people and was grateful of that friendship. Even with much difficulty, Paul recognized the gifts and generosity of the Philippians. The Philippians themselves served as hope for Paul that the Gospel shall be shared to all. Yet, what was interesting was the way Paul wrote the letter. There was no trace of bitterness or dismay. His letter, rather, expressed joy and hope. Paul teaches us in his letter that it is possible to remain hopeful and joyful even when life gets very dark.

Both Baruch and Paul expressed hope and joy in times of so much struggles and darkness. What they have expressed reflected also in today’s Gospel. This is proclaimed to us through the life of John the Baptist.

Joy is promised to us when we allow God to be with us, to transform us and allow him to be our God. It means that when we begin to be less self-centered, less arrogant and less greedy, the more we come closer to God. And the more we come closer to God, the more we recognize Him too, not just in our life but also in the life of those who are next to us. Thus, what is being “zoomed in” is God and not ourselves; what is being maximized is grace rather than sin, forgiveness rather than guilt, love rather than hate.

So, how do we allow God to come to us and transform us? John invites today to “prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight.” This is where we can find the preaching of John about “hope.” John proclaimed “hope” as he reminded the people that salvation is possible, that peace and freedom from sin is possible.

This hope dawns on us when we start recognizing our sinfulness rather than the sins of others. Hope becomes alive when we humble ourselves before God to accept that we are in need of mercy. And this hope brings us to peace, in which the second candle of advent reminds of peace.

Hence, preparing God’s way to our heart means to take away anything that prevents us from allowing God to come closer to us. We may reflect today, what are my un-confessed sins that need repentance? What are my selfish tendencies that keep me away from others and from God?

Hopefully, our season of advent may truly become a preparation for us to encounter God daily and to celebrate with joy the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. Hinaut pa.