THE WORD IN ADVENT - 2nd SUNDAY

A Call to Prepare in True Love

6th December, 2015
Bar 5: 1-9; Phil 1: 4-6,8-11; Lk 3: 1-6

'PREPARE' is the call that dominates this season! One of the posts I could not agree more with, these days on the facebook, was a prayer posted by Fr. Joe Andrew an inspiring salesian priest. He had begun it thus: 'Lord we prayed for rain and you gave it. Sorry that we were not prepared for  it!' The whole world's attention is drawn towards the calamity that has just descended upon Chennai (which should by now include within it Cuddalore and other parts affected too). There is a widespread feeling we were not prepared enough for it in spite of the warnings we have had. The second reading and the Gospel today invite us to prepare, while the first reading and the Gospel tell us how to prepare! We are preparing to celebrate the coming of the Lord, and we are preparing for the coming of the Lord too, that is the coming of the Reign of God!

The Call: Recently, after the bomb blasts in Paris, the discussion on violence in the world and the need to tackle them, had escalated to a great intensity. And all of a sudden, in our part of the world, the present calamity of the deluge befell. And we seem to have all forgotten about the earlier discussions - the violence, the terrorism, the anti terrorist attacks, the need to joint military action etc. Today what dominates is the compassion towards the suffering, reaching out to those battling the floods, garnering efforts towards rescuing people and joining hands towards feeding the hungry. Time has yet again proved that goodness has the sweetest sway over humanity. The calamity has taught us, we are one and we need to stand and feel as one! The call is in the air, not just up and above, but surrounding us, in every experience, in every tear, in every smile, in every outstretched hand, in every heart that bleeds with compassion!

To Prepare: To make ready already in advance for the sake of facing a situation, that is what it means to prepare. It is important, the Lord has instructed us time and again, to be prepared for the coming of the Lord in glory. The Coming is going to be glorious and demanding too... because we would have to render an account for everything that we were given with and the way we have responded to it. I remember when we were kids, we dreaded the visit of one of our aunts...she was a nun. When we knew she were coming, we would be pushing dust under the carpet, stuffing clothes into the closet, dumping books into our cupboards and make the rooms look presentable. Invariably every time she would pull out everything that was in disorder and give us a mouthful! Preparing is not a cosmetic alteration that stays just skin deep. It is a fundamental transformation and that is why only true love can afford it.

True Love: To love as Jesus loves...that is the task that St. Paul entrusts to himself and to us. The only preparation that is good enough for the coming of the Lord or the only preparation that can truly lead us towards the coming of the Reign of God, is that which is inspired by true love. It is giving and not getting, it is reaching out and not receiving, it  is leveling and not proving oneself, it is straightening and not manipulating, it is simplifying and not complicating, it is feeling for and with another and not feigning sorrow, it is making life better for the other and not making a life out of the other. True love is a forgetfulness... a forgetfulness of harm done or good left undone, a forgetfulness of the struggles one has gone through while coming to face with the present struggles of another, a forgetfulness that does not so much think of repaying as of responding to the present need of a person. 

Let us prepare...prepare ourselves in true love towards growing into God's people, towards being signs of God's Reign here on earth.