Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.
Gospel
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Reflection
Today’s Gospel tells us how John the Baptist’s ministry fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of “a voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’” John’s proclamation of a baptism of repentance is a timely call to all of us this Second Sunday of Advent. In these weeks leading up to Christmas, we prepare the way of the Lord, both for the celebration of His birth and for the day He comes again. As St. John indicates, the best means for this preparation is to repent.
In the second reading for today, St. Paul prays for his readers that “[their] love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that [they] may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…” We can read this verse as a guideline for how to repent and prepare ourselves for Christ’s coming. We must allow God to increase our love and let that love purify our knowledge and perceptions. In this way, we can always remember what truly matters and avoid the lure of sin.
So often, we fall into sin because we forget--or we refuse to see--the bigger picture. Instant gratification and the appeal of pleasure can lead us to do what we know is wrong for the sake of that immediate desire. This Advent, a season which is all about hopeful waiting, let us fight against the temptations of instant gratification. Let us pray for the grace to say no to sin, even and especially when it promises pleasure in the moment. Let us heed the call of John the Baptist and repent of all the times we chose fleeting goods over God, praying with Paul for increased love.
In Our Lord, love and truth are united. So, love bestowed on us from God helps us see reality for what it is. With His love, we can know and prioritize what is truly valuable. In this way, we will be able to welcome Christ whilst “pure and blameless,” with eyes that see the true value of His presence and how He is so much better than any brief pleasure.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
