2nd Sunday of Advent (A-2022)
December 4, 2022
Fr. John C. Garrett
This is the second week of our Advent message series, “Let There be Light.” Light is essential for our physical and emotional health, it is essential for our minds. But perhaps most of all, it is essential for the health of our hearts. This is why we need the light of Christ for without it, pride and anger, selfishness and greed and all kinds of dark things besides can dominate our hearts.
Last week we noted that specifically allowing the light of Christ’s truth and peace into our hearts can powerfully move our hearts and we talked about simple ways to do that.
Christ is light for our lives. However, even more than that, our lives are to be light for others so that they move in God’s direction. Its called influence.
Light can be influential. Influence is the power to affect how someone else develops, acts, thinks or feels. Influence moves people in one direction or another.
Today, we are briefly looking at the story of one of the most important influencers of all time, St. John the Baptist.
“There came a man who was sent by God; his name was John. He came to testify to the light” (John 1:7). All four Gospel’s tell us about John the Baptist. Two of them begin with the story of John, such is his importance. Jesus himself called John, “I tell you, among those born of women there is none greater than John” (Luke 7:28).
Today’s Gospel passage is from St. Matthew, and he tells up about St. John the Baptist’s mission; “John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” (Matthew 3:1).
John the Baptist first of all appeared in a unique place. God placed him in the desert wilderness. Why? There was powerful symbolism to his preaching there. In part, it shows that the preaching among the elite and scholars in the Temple in Jerusalem, the preaching of the religious establishment was ineffective. Also, the wilderness itself was symbolic too, standing as a sign of John’s radical and uncompromising service to God. Throughout the Scriptures, the wilderness is the place that God accomplishes his greatest work in people he intends to use.
Even more than the place was his message. In the desert, John the Baptist had a very specific message to help point people towards the light. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:1). The word “repent” is often misunderstood as being intolerant and judgmental. However, repentance is about change. To repent means a change of mind, which leads to a change of heart, that results in a change of direction.
St. John challenges people to change their direction and turn back to God because he is near. Matthew continues: “It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert. ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” (Matthew 3:2). Long before St. John, the prophet Isaiah had foretold that the Messiah’s arrival
would be announced in just this way.
Matthew continues: “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:3). Not only where he lived but how he lived communicated his message.
Then there was the message itself: “I am baptizing you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11).
Where John lived, how he lived and what he had to say all worked together to point people to the light Christ. In the same way everything in our lives can point people to the light of Christ. It begins with where God has placed us. Wherever we are right now, God has not placed us there by accident. God has placed us wherever we are to be his light and to influence people in his direction.
We are not principally in our a work place or school or mom’s group or small group to advance our own agenda but to show people, point people, perhaps wordlessly convince people
that Christ is the Light of the World.
Like St. John, our life, the way we live, says something, maybe quite a lot, at least it should, about what we believe.
How do we point others to Christ? First of all we have to recognize that is a priority. That means when we enter the environments that are part of our daily life we look to see how we can be a light. One way to look at it is all about adding value. Look at how we add value to the people around us.
There are some simple things we can do to influence people around us. Smile. I know that sounds ridiculously simple and it is. When you smile at someone, what happens? They smile back. When they smile back that means you just influenced them.
Call people by name, and notice what they’re doing. The sweetest sound to anyone is the sound of their own name. Recognition and encouragement are a close second.
Small acts of service/random acts of kindness. For example, opening the door for someone, or helping them carry a heavy package, maybe being extra generous when leaving a tip.
This world can often seem dark. The darkness can fill our minds and our hearts. But God’s invitation for us this holiday is to come out of the dark, and walk in his light. He invites us to walk in his ways, his peace and truth.
There is no life without light but there is no light without God.