Second Sunday of Advent (A)

INTRO: Has this ever happened to you…..tree trimming!!!!??

Families get together; sip some beverages, listening to Christmas music, dividing up the duties of trimming the tree.

Suppose you are the one who gets to do the lights…..!!!

How many of you like to do the lights????
How many of you HAVE CERTAIN WAY TO DO THE LIGHTS???

So here I am…doing the lights….singing away and stringing away….ALL OF SUDDEN, I hear:

Um, JIM, don’t you want to GO AROUND THE TREE doing the lights, instead of up and down???

Uh, O – K – A – Y ????

So, I start going around the tree…moving that ladder a million times….going round and round…..and ALL OF A SUDDEN I hear:

Um, JIM…..could you put the lights INSIDE the tree more. Not just on the ends???? And could you attach them with that little clip!!!!!

HA HA HA

Ever happen to you?

ALL OF US are OPEN TO CRITICISM! 

Aren’t we? Is the criticism right? Was it fair? Should it have been done?

As far as criticizing goes: I would say what matters most, is HOW we say things, and for many times in these kinds of situations we SHOULD….THINK BEFORE WE SPEAK!

Not sure if JOHN THE BAPTIST DID THAT in today’s Gospel from Matthew??? He called the Pharisees and Sadducees, who wanted to be baptized…………… “Vipers”!!!!!

Look that word up…. It means A LOT OF THINGS!!
SKUNKS
COBRAS
PIGS
RATS
MONSTERS
BEASTS

To me that don’t sound like he was thinking before he was speaking!!! Or worrying about HOW we say things, but, on the other hand ………………………………. maybe John did???????

We all know he wanted sincere repentance in all whom he was baptizing. He wanted to make a POINT to these people who desired his baptism with “water”!

The church does criticize this Advent season when one simply “goes through the motions” of our religion and liturgy and not allow our hearts and minds and souls to be fully engaged in meeting CHRIST through this great catholic way of life.

Pharisees and Sadducees were good at “going through the motions of following laws”…the letter of the law was their “salvation”, but, for JOHN THE BAPTIST, the pre-cursor of JESUS and for JESUS…. the spirit of the law is one’s salvation!
And, what does that mean…………….the spirit of the law?
Well,
It means we do things,

showing kindness, charity, gentleness, and patience.

Advent is the time to MEET CHRIST in the unexpected situations that are presented to us.

Following the spirit of the law means being ready for that UNEXPECTED turn, person, happening, or situation

AND THAT IS THE KIND OF PERSON JOHN THE BAPTIST WANTED to baptize: one who could break away from the “routine of their well-planned schedule” to meet CHRIST in the unexpected.
Letter of the LAW people could have a difficult time doing this!
Spirit of the LAW people……….do it all the time!

CONCLUSION:

May the Spirit of the Lord, rest upon you….a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, and a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.