2nd Sunday Of Advent
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: December 10, 2024
There was a man who came to a crowded church and refused to take his hat off when asked by the ushers. Others also asked him to remove his hat, but he refused. The preacher was also perturbed and after the service spoke to the man explaining the traditional decorum about men’s hats not worn in the church, he invited him to join the church, but to follow this practice in the future.
The man said, “Thank you and thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Also for inviting me to be a member of the congregation. Actually I joined it 3 years ago and have been coming regularly ever since, but this is the first time anyone has paid attention to me. After being unknown for 3 years, today simply by wearing a hat I had the pleasure of speaking to the ushers and now I had a conversation with you who was always too busy to talk to me before.”
Do we make strangers feel welcome? Are we too busy or distracted to notice people around us? This Advent we hear the call of John the Baptist, Prepare the way of the Lord. A heart prepared to welcome Jesus at Christmas requires a heart that notices the people we meet each day.
Recently I read about how a few years ago in Japan, the government appointed a minister of loneliness. He was responsible for promoting Policy for dealing with loneliness and isolation. They did this in response to a survey where 40% of respondents 16 and older said they felt lonely. Years ago I remember hearing Mother Teresa speaking about hunger in the world. She said that in North America the greatest hunger was loneliness.
This Advent we hear that call, Prepare the way of the Lord. One basic thing we can do to prepare our hearts is to reach out to someone who is lonely or isolated. Perhaps someone within your family or in our community.
This Advent as we hear that call, Prepare the way for the Lord and John the Baptist is described as a voice crying out in the wilderness. Today we need the voice of God crying out in the wilderness of our world. A world faced with senseless wars, in the middle east, in the Ukraine, in parts of Africa. A world faced with divisions between nations, within nations, and within families. A world faced with so much loneliness and isolation. Today we need the voice of God to cry out in the wilderness of our world through us.
This Advent we hear the call, Prepare the way of the Lord. What kind of heart do we want to prepare to welcome Jesus at Christmas time? One that forgives rather than hates. One that loves rather than being apathetic to the needs of others.
This Advent we hear the call, Prepare the way of the Lord. How will we prepare the way for the Lord?First we need to look within ourselves. I must examine myself first. Look inside. What kind of heart is in in me? The preparation for the Sacrament of Confession can be helpful, if we do a truly honest self-examination. The one thing I can change in this world is myself.
This Advent we hear that call, Prepare the way of the Lord. In a world faced with so much loneliness and isolation, we need to be a voice crying out in the wilderness. We need to prepare a heart that is able to see the needs in the people around us. How do you prepare such a heart during this Advent season?
First, reach out to someone who is lonely.
Second, prepare to go to Confession, examine within yourself and let Jesus change your heart.
Third, be reconciled with someone, a friend, a family member.
Prepare a heart that is able to bring God’s voice into the wilderness of the world today. Prepare a heart that is able to hear the loneliness in the people around you. Prepare a heart that is able to touch the hearts of others.
