The Second Sunday of Advent

A New Video Series: Coffee with Padre

By Fr. Timothy Armbruster, C.PP.S.

Today’s Readings

• Baruch 5:1-9
• Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
• Luke 3:1-6

Who are the most important people in your life? As we celebrate this second Sunday of Advent, our Gospel for today begins with a list of names, a history lesson of sorts. Even though we have heard these names before, they may or may not mean anything to us today. Do these names really make a difference? They do as they help us to place events in history. Both John and Jesus came into this world at a specific time in history. The leaders of their day had influence over them and others. As Luke shares this history, it draws us into a time and space

Who are the people that are important to us in our lives?

We hear the stories of those in leadership and the impact they have on our lives. Today, we also hear the voice of John the Baptist crying out the desert, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” His message still speaks to us today.

John exists in a world where some people have plenty and others have nothing. A world where his people are under the occupation of a ruling empire. He comes from a religious tradition that believes in justice, in a time in the future when all will be made right, where there will no longer be those who have plenty and others who don’t have enough, where swords will be beaten into plowshares. Yet, as he looks around, he sees all that isn’t right.

Even today, we still need to say, “Hey, whoa, wait a minute … time-out, something’s not right, something needs to change.”

We might still feel lost and abandoned, at times alone and exiled, maybe even forgotten or that we have no control, no voice. But all is not lost. We are called to be a people of hope and expectation. We may not be able to make the world entirely as it should be, we can continue to prepare the way. Prepare the way for justice makers, prepare the way for better systems, prepare the way for safety for children, prepare the way for a better world for all of those coming after us. We can continue to keep the gospel message alive and share the news of God alive in our hearts through the gift of Jesus.

Who are the people that are important to us in our lives?

They are the ones who inspire and give us hope. They are the ones willing to speak up and be that voice in the desert. They are the ones who care for us and teach us to care for others. They are the ones who make a difference in our lives. They are the ones who help us prepare the way for Christ in our lives once again.

As we continue this Advent journey, how will I prepare the way of the Lord? How will I make the path to my heart and to the hearts of others better?

Thank you for joining us today. I invite you to join us again on Wednesday, Dec 11 for the Second Week of Advent.

Blessings on your Advent journey.

New videos are posted at 6:30 a.m. on Sundays and Wednesdays during Advent.

All of the videos in this series can be found here: Coffee with Padre

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[Fr. Timothy Armbruster is a Precious Blood priest whose ministry has focused on parish work and retreats for youth and young adults. He holds a Master’s of Divinity Degree from Catholic Theological Union and describes himself as “a clown at heart.” Fr. Timothy incorporates clown ministry into his work to open our hearts, to seek laughter and happiness, and to see the world around us a bit differently. “In the stuffiness of life, we need God’s humor to see things anew,” he says.]

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