MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD
Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR
Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B, 2008
Holy Names Catholic Church, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Last Sunday, Fr. Maurice preached a homily he titled, “the voice crying out in the wilderness”. But the voice that was crying in the wilderness or desert was crying for something. The voice was addressing an urgent need; it was a voice of urgency. That voice had a message; and the message is “Make straight the way of the Lord.” So this Sunday, I am preaching a message I have titled, “Make Straight the way of the Lord”.
“To make straight” simply speaking is to make amends; it is to repent, to level the stumps in our heart that stand against the entrance of God and God’s words. The expression “make straight the way of the Lord” was first addressed to the old Israel. But as the New Israel, it is also addressed to each of us. A profitable way of reading and meditating on the Old Testament is for each Christian to regard himself or herself as not only a “little Israel” but also the “new Israel”. Like the old Israel, each of us has been called to a covenant relationship with God. Again, like the old Israel, each of us has not been faithful to that covenant relationship through personal sin. In the Old Testament, Isaiah in Isaiah 40: 3 said, “A voice cries out in the wilderness, ‘prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God.” As Isaiah called the Israelites to repentance, John the Baptist is calling each of us to repentance today. He is asking us to “make straight the way of the Lord” in our hearts. He is asking us to get rid of all the impediments we have allowed into our hearts that inhibits or prevents the growth of grace God wills for each of us.
We are in the season of Advent. The word Advent means “arrival, or coming into a place”. During the season of Advent, we, the Church, prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, while also anticipate his Second Coming. We expect the arrival of our Savior either as an infant in the manger or as the King of glory. Advent reminds us that Christmas is near the corner; it also reminds us that Jesus’ Second coming will happen some day. The Lord promised us in the Gospel of John 14:3 that he will come back to take us to our eternal home. Advent also prepares us for the arrival of Jesus into our hearts. And this is why the message of the desert preacher, John the Baptist is vitally important. When he cried in the wilderness, his single message was, “make straight the way of the Lord.” Prepare yourself for the coming of the Lord. Prepare for the arrival of the Good Shepherd, the righteous Judge. To do that, we must rid ourselves of anything that is foreign or alien in the Kingdom of God.
“Make straight the way of the Lord” wherever the path has been crooked, wherever it has sunk low, wherever obstacles have arisen, wherever the pavement has produced potholes and cracks. “Make straight the way of the Lord” let the Lord, the King of glory enter into our lives. But how can the Lord enter where hate abides? How can the Lord enter where lust has made its bed? Where remorse and guilt over bad behavior no longer exist in our lives? We rather take pride in doing what is shameful. How can the Lord come into a place where falsity, stealing, bribery, cheating and lies have been enthroned? To those gripped by gossips, the message of today to you is make “straight the way of the Lord.” To those reveling in sexual immorality, the Lord speaks to us through John the Baptist saying, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” To an unforgiving heart, he says to you, “make straight the way of the Lord.” To the habitual liar “make straight the way of the Lord.” Stop now and think! What will prevent me from reflecting the glory of the God?
The problem with the contemporary Christian is not that he sins. We all sin! Romans 3: 23 says, “All have sinned and have fall short of the glory of God.” The problem with today’s Christian is that he sins and calls it virtue. We sin and call it a mistake. There is a difference between a mistake and transgression. We call our sin a mistake. We sin and call it how God made us. We sin and call it unrealistic. We sin and call it unavoidable. We sin and call it our neighbor’s fault. We deliberately sin and blame it on the devil- “Satan made me do it”. Like Eve, we never take responsibility for our actions. We sin and still claim that sin has not made us sinners, that we are still good people. We sin and give reasons to justify our actions. We sin and never feel remorse or guilty of wrongdoing. We sin boldly during the week, and without going to confession, boldly approach the altar to receive the Eucharist during Mass. We sin and claim that we are not hurting anybody; rather we are just catching fun. We call sin, fun! Any message that condemns sin is equally condemned, and the preacher is seen as outdated, old-school, out-fashion and out of touch with the real life.
The voice crying out in the wilderness is asking us to “make straight the way of the Lord”. He is asking us to rebuild old bridges. Like his listeners, we should not be stubborn as to ask him, “Who are you?” We often times ridicule those who correct us or who rebuke us for wrongdoing. We ask them questions like “Who are you to speak for God? Who are you to decide what is true? Who are you to judge me or call me crooked? Who are you to accuse? When John was asked “Who are you? His answer was, “I am the voice crying out in the wilderness saying, make straight the way of the Lord.” He is the one who called out, not because of who he is, but because of who is coming. And if we refuse to listen, we will be judged for rejecting the content of the message.
Brethren, today is the third Sunday of Advent. Today is called in Latin Gaudete Sunday and in English Rejoice Sunday. The theme of joy is everywhere in the readings and prayers of Advent Masses.
The very first words of today’s Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24) insists “Brothers and sisters, rejoice always.” It is perhaps unusual to tell someone burdened by the problems of life to rejoice. Yet, we can still be joyful in the midst of suffering.
As a Redemptorist Seminarian on Pastoral Year in a Redemptorist parish in Lagos, Nigeria, part of my weekly assignment was to visit the sick and the elderly either in their homes or in the hospitals to pray with them and give them the Eucharist. In doing this I met two kinds of sick people. On one hand were sick people who were bitter, angry, worried and frightened by death. They complained and lamented that if God truly exists, then he has abandoned them. Their family members also asked what their beloved ones had done to merit such punishment (sickness). But on the other hand were people who, in the midst of their pains and brokenness, still appreciate God and what he has done for them. A man once said “Brother Marcel, I thank God for saving me. He is chastising me by my sickness; I am peaceful and joyful that when all is said and done, I would not have suffered in vain.” Another person said to me with a broad smile, “The Lord Jesus has taught us how to live and how to die, so I am serene and happy.”
Without making any judgment on people, the point I am making here is that it is possible for joy to coexist with suffering. We can still be joyful in the midst of tribulations, trails, persecutions, loss of jobs and homes, death of a beloved one, sickness, divorce, and disappointments of life. Our joy has its origin in Jesus Christ. Our joy is contingent in our relationship with him. Joy is a concrete sign of God’s presence within an individual. Only those who are friends of Jesus, who are close to him, can experience this joy. The closer you are to him, the happier you are. This joy transcends every pain and suffering.
If we truly know who we are, (the image of God, friends of Jesus, temple of the Holy Spirit) we can always entrust to God all our cares and worries. Psalm 55: 22 says, “Cast your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Then in 1 Peter 5: 6, it says, “Cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you”. John the Baptist knew who he was, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness.” He knew he was a witness. He knew he was not the Christ or Elijah. He knew his mission on earth. He defines himself only relation to Jesus. John the Baptist also knew who Jesus is “the Light”. In humility, he says he is not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.
Dearest beloved, the season of Advent calls each of us to know who we are- children of God. The discovery of who we are can ultimately lead to hope and joy; and do not forget that this joy is only possible if we who are created in the image and likeness of God, in reality and concretely reflect that image. But if we do not reflect the image of God due to our lifestyles, then the urgent message of the desert preacher John the Baptist in today’s Gospel “make straight the way of the Lord” becomes an urgent message we cannot possibly ignore; and that means we need to get rid of those sins that have build up as high as a mountain in our lives and consequently shut out the friendship of God and the arrival of Jesus Christ in our hearts. Get reconciled with God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and be really joyful once again! Let the humility of John the Baptist lead us to acknowledge our sinfulness and return to the Lord.
Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B, 2008
Holy Names Catholic Church, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Last Sunday, Fr. Maurice preached a homily he titled, “the voice crying out in the wilderness”. But the voice that was crying in the wilderness or desert was crying for something. The voice was addressing an urgent need; it was a voice of urgency. That voice had a message; and the message is “Make straight the way of the Lord.” So this Sunday, I am preaching a message I have titled, “Make Straight the way of the Lord”.
“To make straight” simply speaking is to make amends; it is to repent, to level the stumps in our heart that stand against the entrance of God and God’s words. The expression “make straight the way of the Lord” was first addressed to the old Israel. But as the New Israel, it is also addressed to each of us. A profitable way of reading and meditating on the Old Testament is for each Christian to regard himself or herself as not only a “little Israel” but also the “new Israel”. Like the old Israel, each of us has been called to a covenant relationship with God. Again, like the old Israel, each of us has not been faithful to that covenant relationship through personal sin. In the Old Testament, Isaiah in Isaiah 40: 3 said, “A voice cries out in the wilderness, ‘prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God.” As Isaiah called the Israelites to repentance, John the Baptist is calling each of us to repentance today. He is asking us to “make straight the way of the Lord” in our hearts. He is asking us to get rid of all the impediments we have allowed into our hearts that inhibits or prevents the growth of grace God wills for each of us.
We are in the season of Advent. The word Advent means “arrival, or coming into a place”. During the season of Advent, we, the Church, prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, while also anticipate his Second Coming. We expect the arrival of our Savior either as an infant in the manger or as the King of glory. Advent reminds us that Christmas is near the corner; it also reminds us that Jesus’ Second coming will happen some day. The Lord promised us in the Gospel of John 14:3 that he will come back to take us to our eternal home. Advent also prepares us for the arrival of Jesus into our hearts. And this is why the message of the desert preacher, John the Baptist is vitally important. When he cried in the wilderness, his single message was, “make straight the way of the Lord.” Prepare yourself for the coming of the Lord. Prepare for the arrival of the Good Shepherd, the righteous Judge. To do that, we must rid ourselves of anything that is foreign or alien in the Kingdom of God.
“Make straight the way of the Lord” wherever the path has been crooked, wherever it has sunk low, wherever obstacles have arisen, wherever the pavement has produced potholes and cracks. “Make straight the way of the Lord” let the Lord, the King of glory enter into our lives. But how can the Lord enter where hate abides? How can the Lord enter where lust has made its bed? Where remorse and guilt over bad behavior no longer exist in our lives? We rather take pride in doing what is shameful. How can the Lord come into a place where falsity, stealing, bribery, cheating and lies have been enthroned? To those gripped by gossips, the message of today to you is make “straight the way of the Lord.” To those reveling in sexual immorality, the Lord speaks to us through John the Baptist saying, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” To an unforgiving heart, he says to you, “make straight the way of the Lord.” To the habitual liar “make straight the way of the Lord.” Stop now and think! What will prevent me from reflecting the glory of the God?
The problem with the contemporary Christian is not that he sins. We all sin! Romans 3: 23 says, “All have sinned and have fall short of the glory of God.” The problem with today’s Christian is that he sins and calls it virtue. We sin and call it a mistake. There is a difference between a mistake and transgression. We call our sin a mistake. We sin and call it how God made us. We sin and call it unrealistic. We sin and call it unavoidable. We sin and call it our neighbor’s fault. We deliberately sin and blame it on the devil- “Satan made me do it”. Like Eve, we never take responsibility for our actions. We sin and still claim that sin has not made us sinners, that we are still good people. We sin and give reasons to justify our actions. We sin and never feel remorse or guilty of wrongdoing. We sin boldly during the week, and without going to confession, boldly approach the altar to receive the Eucharist during Mass. We sin and claim that we are not hurting anybody; rather we are just catching fun. We call sin, fun! Any message that condemns sin is equally condemned, and the preacher is seen as outdated, old-school, out-fashion and out of touch with the real life.
The voice crying out in the wilderness is asking us to “make straight the way of the Lord”. He is asking us to rebuild old bridges. Like his listeners, we should not be stubborn as to ask him, “Who are you?” We often times ridicule those who correct us or who rebuke us for wrongdoing. We ask them questions like “Who are you to speak for God? Who are you to decide what is true? Who are you to judge me or call me crooked? Who are you to accuse? When John was asked “Who are you? His answer was, “I am the voice crying out in the wilderness saying, make straight the way of the Lord.” He is the one who called out, not because of who he is, but because of who is coming. And if we refuse to listen, we will be judged for rejecting the content of the message.
Brethren, today is the third Sunday of Advent. Today is called in Latin Gaudete Sunday and in English Rejoice Sunday. The theme of joy is everywhere in the readings and prayers of Advent Masses.
The very first words of today’s Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24) insists “Brothers and sisters, rejoice always.” It is perhaps unusual to tell someone burdened by the problems of life to rejoice. Yet, we can still be joyful in the midst of suffering.
As a Redemptorist Seminarian on Pastoral Year in a Redemptorist parish in Lagos, Nigeria, part of my weekly assignment was to visit the sick and the elderly either in their homes or in the hospitals to pray with them and give them the Eucharist. In doing this I met two kinds of sick people. On one hand were sick people who were bitter, angry, worried and frightened by death. They complained and lamented that if God truly exists, then he has abandoned them. Their family members also asked what their beloved ones had done to merit such punishment (sickness). But on the other hand were people who, in the midst of their pains and brokenness, still appreciate God and what he has done for them. A man once said “Brother Marcel, I thank God for saving me. He is chastising me by my sickness; I am peaceful and joyful that when all is said and done, I would not have suffered in vain.” Another person said to me with a broad smile, “The Lord Jesus has taught us how to live and how to die, so I am serene and happy.”
Without making any judgment on people, the point I am making here is that it is possible for joy to coexist with suffering. We can still be joyful in the midst of tribulations, trails, persecutions, loss of jobs and homes, death of a beloved one, sickness, divorce, and disappointments of life. Our joy has its origin in Jesus Christ. Our joy is contingent in our relationship with him. Joy is a concrete sign of God’s presence within an individual. Only those who are friends of Jesus, who are close to him, can experience this joy. The closer you are to him, the happier you are. This joy transcends every pain and suffering.
If we truly know who we are, (the image of God, friends of Jesus, temple of the Holy Spirit) we can always entrust to God all our cares and worries. Psalm 55: 22 says, “Cast your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Then in 1 Peter 5: 6, it says, “Cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you”. John the Baptist knew who he was, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness.” He knew he was a witness. He knew he was not the Christ or Elijah. He knew his mission on earth. He defines himself only relation to Jesus. John the Baptist also knew who Jesus is “the Light”. In humility, he says he is not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.
Dearest beloved, the season of Advent calls each of us to know who we are- children of God. The discovery of who we are can ultimately lead to hope and joy; and do not forget that this joy is only possible if we who are created in the image and likeness of God, in reality and concretely reflect that image. But if we do not reflect the image of God due to our lifestyles, then the urgent message of the desert preacher John the Baptist in today’s Gospel “make straight the way of the Lord” becomes an urgent message we cannot possibly ignore; and that means we need to get rid of those sins that have build up as high as a mountain in our lives and consequently shut out the friendship of God and the arrival of Jesus Christ in our hearts. Get reconciled with God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and be really joyful once again! Let the humility of John the Baptist lead us to acknowledge our sinfulness and return to the Lord.
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