{"id":1731,"date":"2015-12-06T12:48:25","date_gmt":"2015-12-06T17:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=1731"},"modified":"2015-12-06T12:48:25","modified_gmt":"2015-12-06T17:48:25","slug":"2nd-sunday-of-advent-year-c-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/2nd-sunday-of-advent-year-c-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

2nd<\/sup> Sunday of Advent, Year C<\/a>
\nBaruch 5:1-9
\nPsalm 126:1-6
\nPhilippians 1:4-6, 8-11
\nLuke 3:1-6
\nDecember 6, 2015<\/p>\n

Baruch writes to the people \u201cJerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery, put on the splendor of glory from God forever.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Why are the people wearing \u2018robes of mourning and misery\u2019?\u00a0 Baruch is writing to them when many of the Israelites have been taken away in exile by their enemy, the Babylonians.\u00a0 For this, the people are in mourning and misery.<\/p>\n

Baruch tells them to put on the \u201csplendor of glory<\/em>\u201d because God is about to bring them back.\u00a0 God is going to restore the kingdom.<\/p>\n

We have reason to mourn and be in misery.\u00a0 Once again, there has been a mass shooting, this time in San Bernardino, CA.\u00a0 Fourteen people are dead and twenty-one injured<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This alone is a tragedy but amongst the various stories that have followed it in the news is one that said that have been more mass shootings this year than days in the year (mass shootings defined as four or more victims).\u00a0 That means there has been over 300 mass shootings this year.\u00a0 This would seem to be good reasoning for mourning and misery.\u00a0 I know I felt distress as I watched the news Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

These shootings are not God\u2019s plan <\/strong>but God does have a plan and it involves us.\u00a0 As Paul wrote to the Philippians, he referred to their \u201cpartnership for the gospel<\/em>\u201d.\u00a0 We too are to be partners in the gospel.\u00a0 Just as God had begun a good work in the Philippians and brings it to completion so will God do with us.<\/p>\n

In face of these shootings we might think \u2018What can I do?\u201d\u00a0 We might feel powerless.\u00a0 Paul might have felt the same way.\u00a0 Do you realize that Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians from prison?\u00a0 He was in prison for promoting the gospel.\u00a0 He could have readily said he couldn\u2019t do anything but he didn\u2019t.\u00a0 He continued to do what Jesus asked of him.<\/p>\n

So what can we do?\u00a0 How can one person make a difference?<\/p>\n

We need to increase God\u2019s love in world.\u00a0 Well, actually I don\u2019t know as we can increase God\u2019s love (after all, it is infinite) but we can work on our perception of the world.\u00a0 We need to help people know God\u2019s love.<\/p>\n

We also need to change our perception that we are powerless to do something.\u00a0 One person can make a difference, especially when we are not just one person but a community of believers united as partners in the gospel.<\/p>\n

So what can we do?<\/p>\n

What the world needs is mercy.\u00a0 This might seem troubling because often our first interpretation of mercy is forgiveness so you might interpret what I just said to mean forgiving the people who carryout such shootings.\u00a0 That is something we need to work on.\u00a0 What does it even mean to forgive someone who has done such a thing?<\/p>\n

We can also think of mercy for the victims and their families.\u00a0 Those who were killed receive God\u2019s mercy as those who survive do but the survivors also need our mercy.\u00a0 We offer them spiritual works of mercy offering them comfort and prayers.<\/p>\n

What can we do to prevent more future shootings like this?<\/p>\n

Again, we need to be a people of mercy.\u00a0 We need to show mercy at all times.\u00a0 As part of calling for a Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has written a prayer that includes the words \u201clet the Church be your visible face in the world.\u201d\u00a0 We are the church.\u00a0 We need to be, we must be<\/em>, faces of God\u2019s mercy to the world.<\/p>\n

If we only think of mercy as forgiveness, we can wonder how we show mercy to people before they commit a terrible act.\u00a0 As I have already said, mercy is much more than forgiveness.\u00a0 It includes all the Corporal Works of Mercy and Spiritual Works of Mercy.\u00a0 Our acts of mercy can help people to know that we love and care about them so they don\u2019t do such things.<\/p>\n

That being said, I believe our showing forgiveness to people before they do such a terrible act, can help prevent the terrible act.<\/p>\n

How?<\/p>\n

Acts like this often build over time.\u00a0 Sometimes, it might relate to people\u2019s mental status and there we show mercy by praying that we realize their struggles and help them to get the help they need.<\/p>\n

I also believe we can help prevent the big tragedies by showing mercy in the little things.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know all the details of what happened in San Bernardino but we are told that the man had been at the party and left \u201cangry.\u201d<\/p>\n

What made him angry?\u00a0 I don\u2019t mean just that day.\u00a0 Something had to be building.\u00a0 It might have started with something simple that wasn\u2019t forgiven and grew into a fierce angry.\u00a0 We need to show forgiveness for the little things.\u00a0 Can\u2019t we see it in our own lives?\u00a0 We may keep things that bother us inside.\u00a0 Sometimes this is the best but sometimes it is best to deal with the problem before it becomes worse.\u00a0 We need to show mercy.<\/p>\n

The world needs healing.\u00a0 At the opening of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII, spoke of the \u201cmedicine of mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n

John the Baptist was \u201cA voice crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Are you willing to be a voice crying out the message of mercy?\u00a0 Are you willing not just to speak of mercy but to show mercy?\u00a0 This is our partnership in the gospel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C Baruch 5:1-9 Psalm 126:1-6 Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Luke 3:1-6 December 6, 2015 Baruch writes to the people \u201cJerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery, put on the splendor of glory from God forever.\u201d Why are the people wearing \u2018robes of mourning and misery\u2019?\u00a0 Baruch is writing to …<\/p>\n

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