2nd Sunday of Advent: Reflection by Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
Theme: THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING: EKWE KUO, AMA AGBAA
(Luke 3:1–6)
As we anticipate the cry of the Bethlehem babe that brings salvation to the whole world, a voice is heard in the wilderness crying. It is not the voice of the anticipated child but of his emissary. It is not the cry of joy but the cry of warning; it is not the cry of carols, but a prophetic cry. It is never a call for jubilation, but a cry for self-examination and introspection. It is like the cry of a town crier. He has sounded his gong. He wishes to draw attention. He has broken the silence of the night. He wishes to awaken the sleepers who enjoyed the morning sweet sleep. He disturbs the peace of those who are in erroneous comfort zones.
WHO IS THE CRIER?
His name is John. He is known with what he was doing: baptising and preaching. He was not materialistic pointing to the fact that his message is more of spiritual. He was not a heavy eater reminding us the spirit that should precede the coming of Christ which should involve mortifications. He was seen moving around crying.
WHY WAS HE CRYING?
He was disturbed about the present state of his people. He was troubled about what the people have created themselves to become leaving aside what God made them to be. He was saddened by the fact that those created in the image of God has turned to become vipers. The viper is a kind of serpent. The serpent was the figurative creature that lured man into losing his initial place in the mind of God which necessitated the need for salvation. The viper bites. He is condemned to attack the heels. John cries for the already inflicted injuries the world was suffering and he cries aloud. He cries for the sins of mankind. He cries for those who have made themselves agents of the devil.
WHAT WAS HE CRYING?
REPENT
The voice calls for metanoia. The voice calls for total turn around from evil to good. The voice calls for conversion, the voice cries out for a change of lifestyle. What in you do you need to change? Change everything that is not Divine, change everything that is mundane, change from everything that is diabolic. Change from everything that has changed you from good to bad.
PREPARE A WAY FOR THE LORD
Let Him enter the king of glory. The voice reminds us of the one who comes just as we are reminded of the pastoral visit of the bishop, the coming of the president into a state etc. If people prepare for these comings with great magnitude, why wouldn’t John cry that the people of his time did not take the coming of the Christ seriously? Let’s level the high mountains of pride and straighten the crocked ways of deceptions.
NEVER BE PRESUMPTUOUS
Presumption is a great vice. The voice of John warned against all forms of claims and connections that served as alibi for evil. John condemned all acts of making religion a refugium pecatorum thereby covering up one’s evil deeds with the garb of religion. He warns against effortless religiosity and thinking that anything gives you licence not to do good. He warns against the abuse of divine grace, he cries about spiritual laziness and what James will call faith without good works. He warns against nominalism; answering a Christian, a priest, a catechist, a Christian Man or Woman, A Catholic youth or Mary League and thinking that these are enough to connect us to God without good works.
DO NOT BE MERE CHAFF
Who will not cry when he comes to observe that what he has in his barn or store is nothing but chaff? Chaff is worthless. Jesus wants to meet us with worth. We’ve got to make ourselves worthy of his coming. What are those things that have rendered us worthless before God? John cries and urges us to take up our meaning and usefulness from God by paying heed to his word.
APPRECIATE YOUR BAPTISM
John pointed them to the baptism they were to receive in Christ. We that got the privilege of being baptised in the name of Christ are we living as those reborn? Has the introduction of Christ made any impart in us? Have we actually rejected the sins we promised to reject?
Let us troop to the confessional and ask God to forgive us. Let us welcome Christ in a state of grace. Let us not relax thinking there is still time to make up. Let our conversion and repentance be today.
May that lonely voice crying in the wilderness not be in vain. May we troop out en mass with our families and friends to welcome Christ today, at Christmas and always.
May God bless His word in our hearts.
LET US PRAY
We thank You Lord for calling us to repentance. As we prepare for Your coming, give us the grace to fill every valley and destroy all the mountains that may serve as hindrance for Your smooth travel in our lives through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Happy Sunday to you (Second Sunday of Advent)
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh