Second Sunday of Advent-A December 9, 2007

Isaiah 11: 1-10 Romans 15: 4-9 Matthew 3: 1-12

Whether we spend the whole of winter in the northern part of the country with is cold, wind and snow, or have the opportunity to go to other places, in this country or others, where there are warmer, more moderate temperature, the simple reality is that, in the northern hemisphere, the presence of sunlight, the length of daylight, grows progressively shorter and nights become progressively longer during this time of the year.

So, what do we do? How do we react to this fact? Over the years, in increasing ways, we have sought to contradict nature by decorating homes and public places with more and more lights and with different and sometimes elaborate displays filled, at times, with animation and, especially, light. There can be a number of reasons for this. Sometimes this has been portrayed comically in movies as a matter of simple neighborhood competition. Or it can actually be more subtle, like it is on our parish grounds: an effort to show by an increasing display of lights what it is that we observe on the advent wreath by lighting additional candles each week - a sign of preparation for the celebration of Christmas, the coming into our world, the presence in our world, of “The Light of the World,” Jesus Christ.

Whatever might be the purpose in such lighting displays, they are a contrast, a contradiction, of what we experience in nature - the increasing darkness that surrounds us. We can readily understand this phenomenon as a straightforward and obvious statement of the imagery of Isaiah the prophet which we heard today. God is with us. The Word of God’s creation, Jesus Christ, is with us. Light expresses clearly and emphatically the central mystery we celebrate at this time. Light enables us to counter the darkness that envelopes us. Light shows in a graphic manner the message of the prophet, the difference God’s presence can make, the contradictions that can be experienced: the wolf is the guest of the lamb; the leopard lying with the young goat; the calf browsing with the lion; the cow and the bear together; the child playing in the cobra’s den. These are all contradictions of what is experienced in nature. In the vision of the prophet, and in our display of lighting, the proclamation is made of the possibilities which exist if God’s presence is recognized and lived out among us.

What lighting represents for us is the potential that exists, the possibilities that are present, in the lives we live, in the attitudes we adopt, in the choices we make. Lighting can declare us to be as we celebrate this time of the year, persons who are truly encouraged, given inner strength, as St. Paul declares, by the hope which is ours. We are persons with the potential, the possibility, which faith and trust in God gives us. We are persons who can live in harmony with one another, who can be in accord, in agreement with one another in giving glory and praise to God, who can show truthfulness and honesty in the way we live.

We can see lights on the houses and streets that are all around us. These lights break the doom of long nights. These lights give delight to us as we enjoy them. These lights can stand as a contradiction to the haunting darkness that is all around us.

With faith we can see these lights as signs and symbols that are given to us. They remind us how we are to be like the Baptist, preparing the way for the Lord in our lives and in our world. They remind us how we are to make straight the paths of our lives for ourselves and for others. They remind us how we are to bring to a more complete experience, a more complete reality, the message of this time of the year, the seasons of Advent and Christmas. They remind us of the coming among us, the living with us, the full presence with us in Jesus Christ, of our good and loving God.