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December 9, 2024Today we celebrate the second Sunday of Advent. We are thus approaching the holy Christmas and the beginning of the Jubilee of the Lord 2025, in which we will joyfully remember the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God who came to dwell among us.
The word of God that we heard places John the Baptist at the center of our attention. He is a fundamental figure who accompanies us in this time of waiting.
He is the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. He came into the world for a very specific mission, to prepare the way of the Lord, to prepare the people of God to welcome Jesus as our savior.
John the Baptist reminds us that we must arrive prepared for the encounter with the Lord. It is not enough to celebrate Christmas; we must first prepare ourselves adequately. If someone important comes to visit us at home, we need to prepare well, we need to check that the road to our house is accessible and there are no interruptions, we need to check that our house is welcoming, and everything is prepared in an adequate way to welcome him and make that meeting unforgettable.
John the Baptist invites the people of Israel to prepare everything to welcome Jesus in the best way. Preparing to celebrate Christmas in which we remember the first coming of Jesus among us, we need to prepare ourselves not only externally, but above all internally. The external preparation, the decorations, the nativity scene and the Christmas tree that we will inaugurate after the Holy Mass, must be an expression of the internal preparation, that of our heart and of our daily life.
Following the indications of John the Baptist, I invite you to remove everything that could hinder our joyful meeting with the Lord. If something weighs down your heart, have faith in the Lord, increase your prayer, approach the sacrament of reconciliation, confession. Let us find in ourselves the desire for salvation, the desire to be united with God and at peace with one another, overcoming all enmity.
Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus did not come only 2025 years ago, he continues to come into our lives. Saint Paul in his letter to the Philippians has a beautiful expression: I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes.
Saint Paul is certain that the Lord is faithful to his promises and that his presence in our lives continues to work to transform us and make us authentic children of God. The work of God will continue until the second coming of the Lord, which will take place at the end of history.
Therefore, remembering the first coming of the Lord, and waiting for his full manifestation, let us welcome his presence every day that reaches us in the word of God, in the Eucharist, in the Christian community and in the poor and needy. Welcoming the Lord means allowing his presence to change our lives, purify our hearts, change the way we live relationships, work, and family.
Finally, the prophet Baruch invites us to joy. The Lord who comes brings us the joy of being loved: take off your dress of sorrow and distress, put on the beauty of the glory of God forever.
Dear faithful, I also invite you to joy because the Lord is coming. Let us leave behind sadness and clothe ourselves with the joy that comes from knowing that we are loved by God, so much so that He wanted to give us His son Jesus for our salvation.
The true hallmark of a Christian is joy, even in hardship, even when we have to face so many problems and feel the oppression of our limits and sins. God is greater and his mercy makes all things new, he makes our hearts new.
May Mary Most Holy, Mother of Jesus and our mother, accompany us towards Christmas and intercede for us so that we can live in peace and joy. Amen.
