2nd Sunday Advent A - Homily 2

Homily 2 - 2010

Quite a Gospel: John appeared in the wilderness of Judea .. and his message was Repent! Matthew then shared what he understood by John’s call to repent: Prepare a way for the Lord.

Here we are, not in the wilderness of Judea, but in the cultural jungle of “life in Hamilton” – three whole weeks of chaos before Christmas … And John’s cry to us has hardly changed: Prepare a way for the Lord.  Make room for God in your life now.  Find the silence in your own heart, and come home to it now.

I suggest that, rather than me talk about it and you listen to me, we do it.  We touch into the process of repentance; we simply sit in silence now.  Close your eyes.  Do nothing beyond noticing – don’t think deliberately of anything.  Your mind will fill up of itself – no end of thoughts, feelings, reactions, cares.  That is normal.  Just let them go.  Don’t go with them – or fight them.  Just let them go.  Do nothing – sit, and breathe; and don’t worry about anyone else, or about the little children doing their thing.  Just four minutes sitting in silence – four minutes answering John’s call to repent.  I’ll tell you when the time is up.