After Receiving The Sacraments, Let's Live Flew From Darkness 

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Church, Baton Rouge, LA

Sunday, December 8, 2013

In this week’s Gospel, we are introduced to Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, who preached in the wilderness of Judea. He appeared unexpectedly as the voice of God. He appeared at a time when the Jews were saying that for four hundred years, there had been no prophet, that the voice of the prophets do not sound anymore. Throughout these long centuries, they had thought that the voice of prophecy, which was the voice of God had remained silent and do not speak anymore. But as this thinking was becoming common among the people, John the Baptist emerged. He emerged with a message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

John was a fearless preacher who repudiated and denounced evil deeds wherever he saw them. When Herod entered into illicit and unlawful marriage with his brother’s wife, Herodias, John rebuked him and pointed out to him that the Jewish Law did not permit such behavior. When he saw that the Sadducees and Pharisees, the religious leaders, the churchmen of their day, were stuck in the letters of the law and paid no attention to the spirit of the law, John the Baptist challenged them and berated their hypocrisy. When he saw that the ordinary folks of his time were living lives that were not consistent with the professed faith, John rebuked them. Wherever he saw anything bad, anything evil- in the state, in the Temple, in the street, in the marketplace, John fearlessly rebuked it. His emergence became a light that lit up the dark places. His voice became the voice of virtue, the voice of goodness, the voice of uprightness, the voice of holiness, and the voice of God. His voice became the voice of faith, morals and reason. As he preached, he urged the people: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” John the Baptist was not a prophet of doom. His message was not only about denunciation, repudiation and rebuke of evil. He did not only denounce the wrong that people were doing, he also challenged them to become what they ought to be and to what they could be. As he was pointing out the path that leads to destruction, he was equally showing the path to life and salvation. 

Today’s Gospel (Matthew 3:1-12) says: “John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea...” His prophetic ministry and message started in the desert, yet, people, including the Pharisees and Sadducees were going to him to be baptized by him. Everyone was running to him, thinking that he was the Messiah. But in his humility, John did not assume who he was not. He did not claim to be the Christ. He told the people: “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 you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John pointed beyond himself. He was not simply a voice of rebuke but also a signpost to God. He did not wish to become the center of attraction. He wanted to prepare people to encounter Jesus, the one he described as “mightier than I.” 

To those who had been baptized, baptized unto repentance, John urged: “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” John warns that it will avail to nothing to say that Abraham is our father when one’s deeds are not consistent with the faith that Abraham professed and lived out. It will amount to nothing to say that we are Christians if we are not following in the footsteps of Christ. A Christian is a professional lover. A Christian is a lover of God and God’s people. A Christian is another Christ in the world. It will amount to nothing, after receiving the sacraments- baptism, confirmation, Holy Eucharist etc, we still live in darkness. Claiming Abraham as our father in faith is not going to be enough unless our faith in God is deeply rooted as that of Abraham. Saying verbally that Jesus is Lord will avail to nothing if we don’t live like his servants. Appealing only to God’s mercy is not going to be enough if we don’t make effort to enjoy his mercy. God’s mercy is to be enjoyed and not be abused. Claiming to be children of the kingdom will mean nothing if we don’t walk and live like redeemed and delivered children of the kingdom. John prophesied that the nearness of God’s kingdom requires appropriate action- to repent, to be converted, to have a change of heart. Claiming to be born again will mean nothing if we only live to oppose. To be born again doesn’t have to be all about opposition. Yes, a born again Christian must be born to oppose and be against anything that is not Christ-centered. But a born again Christian must be born again for something good. John the Baptist was not just against something, he was for something. He did not only condemn and rebuke, he also pointed to the light. The emphasis should not just be on avoidance of sins and evil, but on doing something good, being lovely and lovable, being hospitable, being kind, being compassionate, being merciful, being generous, being inclusive, being tolerant, being gentle, being humble, being truthful, being sacrificial, being understandable, being less difficult, being holy and above all, being Christ.