As we see from the two candles lit on the wreath before us, Advent is well underway; Christmas is only 18 days away! So, have you found that most important gift yet? Do you even know what it is? Everyone has his or her concept of what is most important. Our lesson on this, the Second Sunday in Advent, presents us with a man who understood what was most important in his life. His name was John. We know him as John the Baptist. Listen again as we hear the Gospel of Luke describe John’s mission: “The word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” John understood his mission very clearly: he was sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. He is the voice of one calling in the wilderness: prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation. John had been called to prepare everyone to receive that most important gift: God present in our midst.
Today’s first reading also speaks of what was most important. In this case, it was what was most important in the lives of the people of ancient Israel. As we hear from the prophet Baruch, we hear him speak to the Jewish people who were in captivity in Babylon. As you know, ancient Babylon was a great mercantile city located just a few miles north of modern-day Baghdad in modern day Iraq. The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, had destroyed Jerusalem and carried off the Jewish people to his capital, Babylon. For generations, the Jews had been forced to work as slaves there. They longed to return to Jerusalem, their capital city, the city of their God.
Today, we hear Baruch give the ancient Israelites – our ancestors in the faith – the sign that God is about to return: “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God … for God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company.” Baruch assures his people that God will come again in their midst.
There is really nothing more important in our lives than to be in God’s presence. During this Advent season, we are all reminded once again that, we are invited to enjoy God’s blessings here on earth. In fact, we are called to be signs of God’s presence through our acts of mercy and joy filled love. And, like John the Baptist, we are called to proclaim that real peace comes in the presence of God and that our lasting happiness is to be found in heaven. And, we hear both Baruch and John the Baptist call us to prepare for the coming of God in our lives. God wants to make our lives smoother. He wants to help us move mountains of worry and anxiety. He wants to fill our fear filled valleys with the peace and happiness of his presence as we face life’s challenges and trials. Every year, the Church gives us the season of Advent so that we might look for God and seek him out.
The world tries to distract us with trinkets, toys and gifts that have no lasting value and don’t draw us closer together in God’s love. While giving gifts can be good expressions of our love, Christmas is about something far deeper. We Christians share gifts as a sign of the greatest gift that God has given us – his son, Jesus, the Christ, who is God present in our midst.
So the question in front of us this Advent is: Do we know what – or more accurately – who is most important in our lives? The beauty and joy of Christmas is that God has, on his own initiative, presented us with the most precious gift of his son. The question now is: will we invite Jesus into our lives? Let us make sure that, in the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas, we make time to reflect on the most important gift we all can receive: Jesus. Let us always hold him close to our hearts.