Homily Second Sunday of Advent

Do you hear what I hear?  This is the title of a fairly recent and popular Christmas song made famous by the great Bing Crosby.  The song was actually written in 1962 when there was so much anxiety over the recent Cuban missile crisis, the pressure of the Cold War and rumors of mounting tensions in a faraway place called Vietnam.  Remember one of the lyrics of this song, pray for peace people everywhere?

Hearing is a difficult thing for many of us.  Do we really hear all that we should hear?  I learned, in an intense and personal way, while in formation for the diaconate that often it’s not what I say but what I hear that helps me to carry on God’s great work of service.  Young couples, even those I am blessed to prepare for marriage, are encouraged to really learn to hear each other; to truly listen.  Young men every day and in every land are challenged to hear God’s voice calling them to a vocation to the Priesthood.

As people of faith, we too are called to hear the Word of God.  Are we listening?

On this second Sunday of Advent the Church, in her wisdom, gives us a great example of hearing and listening and responding to God.  Our Gospel from St. Luke gives us the prophet John the Baptist who we find in the wilderness proclaiming the coming of the Lord and preaching a Baptism of repentance.  Much focus is given to this role that John faithfully carried out; his preaching and teaching and his going forth to the people to proclaim his message.  Sometimes we fail to focus on those words in the Gospel that tell us the Word of God came to John.  You see before John could go out and proclaim the coming of Jesus, before he called others to turn away from sin, he first had to hear the Word of God, and not just hear the Word, but he had to respond.  We know how John responded; he was faithful in what God was calling him to and he carried out his calling even to the point of his own death.  In his response to hearing God’s call, John the Baptist ministered and proclaimed without seeking fame or fortune or any self-glory.  No, John the Baptist made sure those who heard him heard clearly that the focus is Jesus Christ.

For you and me on this second Sunday of Advent we are challenged to hear clearly and intently the Word of God.  Yes we should hear his Word in these very Scriptures just proclaimed and in all of His words in the Holy Bible.  A great thing we all can do is to spend more time in God’s word and to hear how it speaks to us.  God’s Word also comes to us in our own personal prayer time; our conversations with God.  How am I doing with my own prayer life?  This second week of Advent challenges us to reexamine our own prayer life and how well we are hearing what God is truly saying to us.

In the week ahead, can we find time to shut out all the noise and busyness that the secular Christmas season throws at us?  Can we resist the temptation to simply go, go and go some more to relax and refresh in time spent with God.  Use this Scripture reading all week to reflect on how well we are truly listening.  Ask ourselves this week: am I hearing Him?  Ask for the intercession of John the Baptist, a great Saint in the Church who can be a powerful intercessor for us in learning how to hear God and then act on that which we hear! 

If today were not the Second Sunday of Advent it would be the feast day of St. Juan Diego.  You know the story.  A simple humble native Indian from Mexico who was visited by Mary under the title of Our Lady of Gaudalupe; Juan Diego eventually heard the Word of God through Mary, and acted upon that Word.  The number of converts added to the Church by Juan’s hearing helped the Church to more than offset losses suffered by the Protestant Reformation sweeping parts of Europe.  Simply hearing and responding brought the Church to the Americas.  Pray with St. Juan Diego too in the week ahead as an example of hearing.

Do you hear what I hear?  Hush, be quiet.  The Word of God is speaking to us.  Will we hear it?