REVEAL JESUS

II Advent “A”

December 8, 2019

Matthew 3, 1-12

A voice cries out in the desert, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” John was the last of the great prophets. He came before Jesus to prepare his way, to make straight his paths. Jesus has indeed come. We will celebrate his birth in less than 3 weeks, what is our job then? If we don’t need to prepare the way of the Lord what are we called to do?

This past week the parish pastoral team spent a retreat day together. We went to Sacred Heart retreat house in Alhambra. Deacon Bruce led our day and he challenged us to reflect on the mission of St. Mary’s Assumption parish. We don’t prepare the way of the Lord, rather we reveal Jesus. We the baptized are all called to make Jesus known to the world. That is our mission as pastoral team but it is also the call of all the baptized, as the Letter to the Philippians says, It is our call to make Jesus known when at last he came.

Each of today’s readings tells us how it is that we are called to reveal Jesus. Isaiah paints a picture of a peaceful kingdom. Whenever we strive for peace we reveal Jesus and not just in Syria or Iraq but right here in Los Angeles, in our homes and families. Whenever we work to make our homes places of peace we are reveal Jesus to the world.

Psalm 72 points out that whenever we reach out to the poor and afflicted, when we pity the lowly when we reveal Jesus. Here in Los Angeles we have so many opportunities. Just think of the many homeless and a kind word is a revelation of Jesus.  

Paul points out the problem of human division and says, “welcome on another as Christ welcomed you.” Just think, as we welcome others we are revealing Jesus. It is important that as a parish we reflect on how welcoming we are. Does a person who comes here for the first time feel welcomed? Or do we ignore them? The parish belongs to all of us; we need to welcome one another.

Our Gospel deepens this theme of revealing Jesus to all. John begins by telling how we don’t reveal Jesus. He begins by chastising the people saying, “Don’t presume for yourself that you have Abraham as father.” John says don’t be complacent. Don’t think it is enough that I come to Church, don’t think it is enough that I am baptized. No we have to live our baptism. It isn’t enough to say, “I am a Catholic.” No we have to share our faith with others.

John is baptizing the people. We know that by celebrating our baptism we begin to reveal Jesus. We are a sacramental people; the sacraments reveal Jesus to ourselves and to others. And we don’t just have the sacrament of baptism but we have 6 more sacraments. We are gathered together to celebrate the Eucharist, obviously the bread and wine are transformed and they become the body and blood of Christ. But the mystery doesn’t end there. If we believe that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ and we in turn receive that body and blood we are transformed as well. We become the presence of Jesus in the world today.

Couples who share the sacrament of marriage reveal Christ in their love and fidelity. The main way that a married couple reveals Jesus is simply loving one another. Just as Jesus is present in the bread and wine, Jesus is also present in the love that couple shares with each.

Saturday I had the opportunity to visit some of the local nursing homes. Places where parishioners visit every Saturday. I celebrated the anointing of the sick, if we believe in the sacraments it means that not only is Jesus revealed to the sick of the parish through the sacrament of anointing, Jesus is revealed in the sick as well. The sick and the poor are the chosen ones in the kingdom of God. What do the sick and crippled of our parish do? They reveal Jesus in their infirmity. We can’t say that they are a burden; they do more than many of us who run around all day. I think of Father Steve, I think of all the many things that he did in the years that he served the people of this parish. As he lies on his deathbed in Wisconsin he just might be doing more for us now than all of the 8 years he spent preaching and celebrating the sacraments.

Next Saturday we will have two communal penance services at 3:30 and 7:30. They are another opportunity for us to reveal Jesus. Jesus is revealed in us who are sinners.

It is clear that our work is cut out for us. St. Mary’s has a glorious history of revealing Jesus for 126 years. But as John says, don’t presume that that is enough. We need to continue reveal Jesus; our work will never be done until Jesus returns in fullness. So as believers we say, “come Lord Jesus come!”