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1. Is 40:
1-5,9-11
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2. 2Pt 3:8-14
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Gospel: Mk 1:
1-8
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"Are we looking for God
or God is looking for us?"
It happened a school
principal called into the house of one of his teachers to find out why he was
not in school. Surprisingly he was greeted by a small child who whisper: "
Hello?"
" Is your Daddy at
home?" asked the principal. " Yes," answered the whispering
child. " May I talk with him?" the man asked. " No,"
replied the small voice. " Is your Mommy there?" he asked. "
Yes," came the answer. " May I talk with her?" Again the small
voice whispered, " No." "All right," said the man, "
Is there anyone there besides you?" " Yes," whispered the child,
" A policeman." " A policeman? Now, may I speak with the
policeman?" " No, he' s busy," whispered the child... " But
busy doing what?" asked the principal. Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the
fireman," came the child's answer. " The fireman? Has there been a
fire in the house or something?" asked the worried man. " No"
whispered the child. " Then what are the police and fireman doing there?" Still
whispering, the young voice replied with a soft giggle, " They are looking
for me."
It would be difficult
for the "rescuers" to find this child as long as the child keeps on
hiding from them. In today's gospel we see
john the Baptist in the desert calling out to the people of Judea to
come out into the open desert and let God find them. You can liken it to the
fireman calling out to the " lost" child. The child has to leave his
hiding place and come out into the open place for the fireman to find him.
To go into the desert
means to leave behind all our preoccupations which we tend to depend. Such life
preoccupations we often find in our job, in relationships and in routine
religious practices. God cannot do much with us as long as we hope and trust in
these things as the first things that gives us meaning to our lives. When the
heart is full no one can come into it, not even God. You have first to let go
of what your heart is holding on to
before you can embrace God. This letting go is symbolized by a journey into the
barren desert.
We should understand
the meaning of desert in the Bible. In the Bible the desert has come to mean a
place of encounter with God. It was in the desert that the people of Israel met
God and learnt the ways of God. There they became God's own people and the Lord
became their God. But first they had to give up all the things that make for
the good life that they were enjoying in Egypt : " the fish we used to eat
in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the
garlic" ( Numbers 11:5). Jesus before beginning his public ministry spent forty days and
nights in the desert. It was a time of discovering and deepening his personal
relationship with God. By calling the people into the desert John was calling
them to let go of their false hopes and securities and to learn to hope and
trust in God alone.
The lifestyle of John
the Baptist is very important for us. John lived what he preached. By his lifestyle,
he showed that the meaning of life is
not to be found in the abundance of material possession but in relationship
with God. Simplicity of life and detachment from unnecessary cares and worries
of social life frees the heart for a personal relationship with God. To go into
the desert is the first step in true repentance. It means abandoning our usual hiding places and putting ourselves
in a situation where God can easily reach us. It is the leveling of those hills
and the filling of those valleys that
make it difficult for God to reach us and save us.
It is during the season
of advent, the church extends to us the call of John the Baptist to repent and
confess our sins in preparation for the One who is to come. It is an
opportunity to rediscover our total dependence on God. God has made us for
Himself, as St. Augustine discovered, and our hearts are restless till they
rest in God. When we realize this and make room for God in our lives, then we
are on the way to true repentance after the example of John the Baptist.
0 Response to "HOMILY FOR 2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT IN YEAR B"
Chapisha Maoni