Homily – December 7, 2008 – Second Sunday of Advent – (St. Ambrose)

Our Scripture readings today, on this Second Sunday of Advent, tell us of the great coming of the long awaited Messiah – as we go back to the beginning - to tell the story of Jesus all over again this new liturgical year. The theme today is: HE IS COMING! HE IS COMING! MAKE STRAIGHT THE PATHS BEFORE HIM! This is the cry of the greatest and the last of the Old Testament Prophets, St. John the Baptist. The Messiah Himself would be the One, True and Only Prophet from then on – in the New Testament!

All flesh needs to see the salvation of God! And to see, all flesh needs to be able to look him straight in the eye; and so make straight the paths, so to be able to see! Those who are proud and arrogant – come down to the plain, to the flat land – come down and meet the great King who rules over you! Those who are lowly and poor – come up, come up from the valley of poverty and see that your Savior is here, he has not forgotten you! May all – who even this day need to hear this cry hear it: come down, come up – he is coming straight ahead to meet you – with his kindness, with his gifts, with your salvation!

Today, since it is December 7^th we also celebrate the feast of St. Ambrose (whose feast day it is on the Church Calendar). He is one, who, born in the 4^th century cried out to the people of Milan in his eloquent and persuasive way: YES! HE IS HERE! HE IS HERE FOR ALL TO SEE AND TO EXPERIENCE AS REDEEMER, SAVIOR AND FRIEND! He is here in the Church (which he founded on the person of St. Peter) that is growing and developing by leaps and bounds since the day of his Ascension, and the day of the sending of the Spirit!

In the late 300's when Ambrose lived, in Milan, Italy – he had the important task as Bishop to enforce the findings of the Council of Nicea which was held earlier in the 300's. There was a big discussion at the Council about the divinity of Jesus. A man named Arius said that Jesus came from God the Father, but was made as a creation of his – he was not truly divine as the Father was. This was an erroneous idea (a heresy) and the Council made it very clear that Jesus was GOD FROM GOD, LIGHT FROM LIGHT, TRUE GOD FROM TRUE GOD, BEGOTTEN - NOT MADE, ONE IN BEING WITH THE FATHER. This you will recognize as a part of the Nicene Creed that we proclaim each Sunday (which was written at that very Council of Nicea). Each line of that creed was carefully thought out and came from some need to clarify who we are in relation to God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and the Church.

And so, St. Ambrose did much to squelch the Arian heresy in the city and diocese of Milan! Ambrose was a very brilliant man, with a great gift for preaching and teaching. He could simplify things so clearly and so well that he was named later as one of the four Latin Doctors of the Church along with St. Augustine, St. Jerome and St. Gregory the Great: (a doctor one who clearly and concisely states what already exists regarding sometimes confusing doctrines of the Church). Ambrose had great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary; and he was very much interested in preserving and also developing the sacred beauty of church buildings, and church music: he had a chant –similar to Gregorian – named after him! [We are fortunate to have right in this altar a relic – a piece of bone of St. Ambrose himself; just before I proclaim the gospel and preach to you I always ask St. Ambrose to help me!]

This leads us to here – now! St. Ambrose Parish, Richmond, Maine! – It has been here, as you know, now, for 120 years – under the spiritual guidance of 10 popes, 10 bishops and 18 pastors. It has been a consistent and faithful part of the Diocese of Portland for that entire time. The same Jesus is here, too (as was there in the time of St. Ambrose himself)! – in one another as we gather each week, in the Scriptures we read, on the altar of Sacrifice during Mass – and in the tabernacle afterwards – and in our hearts (after receiving him in Holy Communion) as we go out from each Mass to love and serve his brothers and sisters (and ours) as he asked us to do! And while we wait for the him to come again, like its founders, this parish is asked to take what was passed on to them from the time of Jesus, through the time of St. Ambrose, up to today – to affirm and confirm it by the purity and holiness of the Catholic Christian lives they embrace and try to lead; and to pass it on to others "at the font" – inviting any who want to join them! In doing this St. Ambrose Parish is doing its part to ensure the people of this part of Maine that the Messiah and Christ remains here and will be here for as long as God would have it!

Today then we have a happy convergence of three sources: The Message of St. John the Baptist; the message of St. Ambrose and the message that you, the people of St. Ambrose Parish, are called to proclaim! HE IS HERE! May the anniversary year find you hungering and thirsting for more and more of the spiritual realities: truths and nourishment that will strengthen you to accept the challenge to lift high the cross of Christ / which has as its counterpart the Paschal Candle and the Light of the Resurrection – and to show them to all you meet – and indeed, by rippling effect, to the whole world! God bless you!