2nd Sunday of Advent

Dear brothers and sisters,

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated” Is 40:1-2

These words of Isaias are full of the love that God has for us. After a long season of difficulty and pain that sometimes are the result of our own foolishness or sometimes we are an innocent victim. In any case, it shows a face of God, that we might not be aware of. Too often our approach to God is that He is upset because of our sinfulness or the things that we have done wrong. But that is not what we see here: God treats us tenderly even though we have sinned against him. He truly loves us!

It is out of this love that hope comes. It is because God loves us so much, and gives us a savior in our Lord that there is hope for each one of us. He also sends many of his messengers. They come in the form of an angel that suggests in our hearts what is good, or in the form of a prophet like St. John the Baptist. This is the message: “Prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low” Is 40:3-4. This is a calling to bring down the mountain of our sinfulness, and bring up the valley of our lack of love. This is fundamentally the way to be prepare for the Lord. He himself is the one who works with us in these 2 aspects of our life. 

Now, It is good for us to ask ourselves: how is God talking to me? Who is he using to send this message to me? Who is calling you to be better? That person is like St. John the Baptist for you. The messenger that tenderly calls you to HOPE!

May God bless you abundantly!!

Fr. Carlos

Parochial Vichar Pastor