Homily – December 1, 2009 – First Week of Advent - Tuesday

+ We are now in the very special season of Advent, which has been o so carefully constructed throughout the centuries by the Church, as a fitting and proper way to prepare ourselves for the three comings of the Lord! Yes, there are three comings of Jesus: the first, as a tiny babe in Bethlehem; the second, at the end of time, when he comes as judge; and the third is whenever we invite him to come to us in Holy Reading, Holy Sacrament (such as Eucharist) and Holy Prayer any time of the day and night! Jesus is never very far away for those who seek him!

But this was not always so: at one time in the history of people the presence of God on earth was very distant due to the fact that the people rejected God from their lives: they turned away from him and ended up like a dead tree stump. But it was from such a dead tree stump of Jesse, that a shoot sprouted, and from his roots a blossom appeared: that shoot and blossom was JESUS: Messiah, Redeemer and Friend!

Amazing things would happen when that blossom appeared: the Spirit of God would rest upon him, a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord. He shall judge the poor with justice and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless and slay the wicked. His presence will bring so much peace that the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play in the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on baby snakes! There shall be no harm or ruin on God's holy mountain! Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever!

Yes, these are magnificent things that will happen and will be seen and understood only by those who have childlike wonder and awe in their hearts. God is God and he can do whatever he wants, is the underlying principle! Those who are high, mighty and intellectually superior will more than likely miss the whole point of God's coming to earth: it is so simple, that it can be missed, and understood only by children: God chose to visit us, beginning in a tiny stable in Bethlehem, because he wanted it that way! That's all there is to it! Be childlike today: and understand what that means!