Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent 2021

Homily preached by Fr Nicholas King SJ

Scripture readings: Baruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:4-11; Luke 3:1-6

Sometimes we find ourselves exclaiming, “What is God up to?”. I found myself in that place just a couple of days ago, doing the funeral of a former student of mine, and trying to make sense of it all for his widow and son, and for his parents and brother and grieving friends. The answer offered by the readings for today is that there is joy (we glimpse it increasingly as Advent goes on); and God is bringing us at this time; but the joy comes in very surprising, and even disconcerting ways.

Today’s first reading is from the prophet Baruch, meditating on the terrible disaster of the fall of Jerusalem. And here our “God of Surprises” is at work, for Jerusalem (us, that is) is advised “to take off the robe of mourning…and put on the beauty that comes from the glory of God forever”. This is powerful language, and we should recite it to ourselves as Advent goes on. No matter how disastrous things might be, God is at work. Listen to the poet’s excitement: “Arise, Jerusalem, and stand on a high place, and look to see your children gathered.” Then with him, we watch the exiles return “lifted up in glory, like a royal throne”. You see, it is all going to be all right.

The psalm for today likewise reflects on the moment of return from Exile: “when the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we thought we were dreaming, our mouths filled with laughter”. And did you notice that great act of faith, as the poet sings, “those who are sowing in tears will reap with cries of joy”. We might make that prayer our own, this week: let us ask to reap with joy what we sowed in weeping.

There is also great joy in the second reading, from the Letter to the Philippians; this is Paul’s most joyful letter, even though it is written from a Roman prison from which he knew he might well not emerge alive. His joy comes from the sense of solidarity they have shared with him in his incarceration. The Philippians have shown him immense support from the very beginning. Then we listen in as he prays for them: “that your love may overflow (a very important Pauline image for the generous gift of God) even more in knowledge and all kinds of perfection…filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God”. Notice the unmistakable joy here, even against the very dark background.

Then in today’s gospel we are given the only date in the entire New Testament, “the 15th year of the imperium of Tiberius Caesar” or roughly 29AD. This is followed by a list of the most powerful people in Palestine at that time: Pontius Pilate, Herod’s children and successors; the High Priests Ananias and Caiaphas. Then, just as we are reflecting that this is just about as unwholesome a list of rogues as you might want to meet on a dark night, Luke’s camera turns quite unexpectedly, away from them and onto the austere figure of JBapt, whom we discover “in the desert”. And it is to him, not to any of the celebrities, or the rich and powerful that, in the words of the gospel, “the word of God came”. And what is this word doing? It is speaking God into a world that has largely forgotten him, rather like our own odd world. If we understand it correctly, this is a very surprising joy: but as soon as we hear the Baptist’s name, we know that all is going to end well; and we watch the start of John’s mission, as he “came to all the area round about the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. We should notice that this idea of repentance and forgiveness is a great theme in Luke’s gospel, which we shall be following on Sundays until next November.

And we know that God is in the story, because the arrival of JBapt is, we learn, a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “the voice of one shouting in the desert: ‘prepare the Lord’s way…’” Then we start to look ahead to what comes at the end of Advent, when “all flesh shall see God’s saving power”. The point is that, whatever it feels like to you just now, there is joy waiting at the end of this Advent season; but it comes in God’s own rather surprising way. That means that it does not come in the orgy of eating and drinking, or the buying of that which we do not need and cannot afford, that is on offer today in the shops out there. God, you see, is very much in charge; and God’s ways are different.

There is one last thought; we have with us tonight a group of Lourdes workers. If you ask them nicely, I suspect that they will be able to speak of the surprising, even disconcerting, joy that they have experienced there. And have you ever felt the same?

Sunday: the powerful have been forgotten; and that is as it should be, in the dispensation of God.