Deacon Greg 12-4-22
Today’s first reading from Isaiah begins with a promise… “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.”
What is this stump? It is the House of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… What is this shoot that comes from the stump, and the bud that shall blossom? It is the House of David! After many kings, and many failed attempts along the way, consider the imagery that all the kingdoms were laid low or had fallen; and all the stumps were dead, except for one… The Stump of Jesse, the father of David, the King whose house shall bring forth our Lord, and Christ gives us this House, The Church, who calls on you to bring it all to YOUR House and to your family, so that together, we have been, are now, and will always be of the House of the Lord GOD, OUR FATHER.
Isaiah promises that our Lord JESUS CHRIST will come from this house, and that “justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips, [allowing the] wolf [to] be a guest of the lamb…” And King David, known to be the author of our Psalms, adds that this “Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace along with it, till the moon be no more.”
This my friends is the HOPE of Advent…
A hope that empowers us with THE HOLY SPIRIT…
For the promise continues, as “the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him [and ultimately us]: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD.”
If this season is about gift-giving, AND Christ gave us this “HOUSE” - The Church, then with it came The Gifts of the Holy Spirit… Gifts given when he promised to send us “an Advocate.” Gifts given with the fires of Pentecost. Gifts received at our Baptism and confirmed in our adolescence… Gifts that are meant to be shared, bearing fruits like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and faithfulness!
St. Paul reminds us in the second reading that, “whatever was written [or I might add, whatever was given to us] previously was written [and given] for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
You’ve heard me remind you of this before… Paul is writing to the Romans, a place that he had not yet visited, with a people who were very strong willed and smart… Smart enough to invent indoor plumbing! You see, Paul’s intention was to stress that even though they had conquered the known world and brought luxury to the people, all that they truly need is Jesus Christ!
Can you see why this reminder is pertinent to our days and times?
Again, the season of Advent truly is about hope, and it is an opportunity to reflect and prepare for the coming of Christ. We reflect on the prophesy and the journey towards Bethlehem and the birth of our Lord, to PREPARE for his Second Coming… And whether we’re privileged to be on earth at the end of time or come to the day when our time ends here on earth, that Second Coming is coming for us all.
Now, enter John the Baptist, “preaching in the desert… saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Our Gospel confirms for us that “it was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”
We as a Parish are truly blessed, when we get to be the ones who share with the world, things like, “Hi. My name is Greg, and on behalf of all of us at St. John the Baptist: Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand… Prepare the way if the Lord. Make straight his paths… You brood of vipers… Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees… and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire!”
OK… I’ll calm down, but let’s go back to the truth that the St. Paul offers the Romans and us: All we need is Christ! And let’s again ask the question:
Can you see why this reminder is pertinent to our days and times? Can’t you just you see John the Baptist himself, frustrated beyond measure, sharing the same fiery message here in our world today.
Go back to the Stump of Jesse… All the kingdoms that ever reigned were gone, laid low by the ax, waiting to see that one stump that would still be alive, and begin again… Growing, to one day produce the fruit that the world would need to flourish and become whole.
Now, I might be having a little homily fun with my imagery and my prophet style fervor today… But on this Second Sunday of Advent, the Good News is that we too can begin again, and can prepare for the coming of Christ, knowing that we are called to live our lives to the fullest, in the House of the Lord, and that we have been given everything we need to understand and glorify him with these lives that our empowered by his very (and Holy) Spirit! And with that Spirit, we are given the gifts to truly make a difference, bearing the very fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and faithfulness, that the world needs to flourish and become whole again.
So let us be good patrons of our namesake St. John the Baptist. Let us go into our week, making straight the path of the Lord in our own lives, and preparing the way of the Lord into the hearts of other!
What is this stump? It is the House of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… What is this shoot that comes from the stump, and the bud that shall blossom? It is the House of David! After many kings, and many failed attempts along the way, consider the imagery that all the kingdoms were laid low or had fallen; and all the stumps were dead, except for one… The Stump of Jesse, the father of David, the King whose house shall bring forth our Lord, and Christ gives us this House, The Church, who calls on you to bring it all to YOUR House and to your family, so that together, we have been, are now, and will always be of the House of the Lord GOD, OUR FATHER.
Isaiah promises that our Lord JESUS CHRIST will come from this house, and that “justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips, [allowing the] wolf [to] be a guest of the lamb…” And King David, known to be the author of our Psalms, adds that this “Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace along with it, till the moon be no more.”
This my friends is the HOPE of Advent…
A hope that empowers us with THE HOLY SPIRIT…
For the promise continues, as “the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him [and ultimately us]: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD.”
If this season is about gift-giving, AND Christ gave us this “HOUSE” - The Church, then with it came The Gifts of the Holy Spirit… Gifts given when he promised to send us “an Advocate.” Gifts given with the fires of Pentecost. Gifts received at our Baptism and confirmed in our adolescence… Gifts that are meant to be shared, bearing fruits like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and faithfulness!
St. Paul reminds us in the second reading that, “whatever was written [or I might add, whatever was given to us] previously was written [and given] for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
You’ve heard me remind you of this before… Paul is writing to the Romans, a place that he had not yet visited, with a people who were very strong willed and smart… Smart enough to invent indoor plumbing! You see, Paul’s intention was to stress that even though they had conquered the known world and brought luxury to the people, all that they truly need is Jesus Christ!
Can you see why this reminder is pertinent to our days and times?
Again, the season of Advent truly is about hope, and it is an opportunity to reflect and prepare for the coming of Christ. We reflect on the prophesy and the journey towards Bethlehem and the birth of our Lord, to PREPARE for his Second Coming… And whether we’re privileged to be on earth at the end of time or come to the day when our time ends here on earth, that Second Coming is coming for us all.
Now, enter John the Baptist, “preaching in the desert… saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Our Gospel confirms for us that “it was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”
We as a Parish are truly blessed, when we get to be the ones who share with the world, things like, “Hi. My name is Greg, and on behalf of all of us at St. John the Baptist: Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand… Prepare the way if the Lord. Make straight his paths… You brood of vipers… Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees… and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire!”
OK… I’ll calm down, but let’s go back to the truth that the St. Paul offers the Romans and us: All we need is Christ! And let’s again ask the question:
Can you see why this reminder is pertinent to our days and times? Can’t you just you see John the Baptist himself, frustrated beyond measure, sharing the same fiery message here in our world today.
Go back to the Stump of Jesse… All the kingdoms that ever reigned were gone, laid low by the ax, waiting to see that one stump that would still be alive, and begin again… Growing, to one day produce the fruit that the world would need to flourish and become whole.
Now, I might be having a little homily fun with my imagery and my prophet style fervor today… But on this Second Sunday of Advent, the Good News is that we too can begin again, and can prepare for the coming of Christ, knowing that we are called to live our lives to the fullest, in the House of the Lord, and that we have been given everything we need to understand and glorify him with these lives that our empowered by his very (and Holy) Spirit! And with that Spirit, we are given the gifts to truly make a difference, bearing the very fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and faithfulness, that the world needs to flourish and become whole again.
So let us be good patrons of our namesake St. John the Baptist. Let us go into our week, making straight the path of the Lord in our own lives, and preparing the way of the Lord into the hearts of other!
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