Homily: December 19 - God transforms from the inside out

There are several similarities between the holy seasons of Advent and Lent.  In both, the priest vests in the color purple, except for one Sunday, he wears the color rose, to focus on joy, as we did this last Sunday.  Both, advent and Lent anticipate the most important feasts of our Church year, Christmas and Easter, and help us to prepare for them in unique ways.

Both call us to repentance, to conversion, to refocus on what is truly important.  Though it almost seems like they do that in opposite ways: Lent makes sure that we are fasting, and praying, and giving alms.  It works from the outside-in, we do acts external, visible acts of penance during Lent, and make sure that our external behavior corresponds to who we are as followers of Christ.

Advent, also is a call to conversion, but more-so from the inside-out.  We are to ponder the coming of Christ, like Mary, keeping the things of God in her heart, pondering them.

We ponder and reflect silently upon the prophecies, we reflect quietly on the great mystery of the incarnation, like a mother during pregnancy much of the work is done from the inside-out.  This is probably why most of our culture fails to focus on the “true meaning of Christmas”; tell 400 million Americans to sit quietly and reflect for 4 weeks and they will laugh at you.

The call to conversion during Advent is very subtle, very gentle, and a lot of people miss that, unfortunately—caught up in pre-Christmas busyness. 

In both readings today, an angel appears to announce the birth of a son to two barren women.  In both of these readings we hear that their sons are to avoid strong drink, and that the Spirit of the Lord would be present to both boys.  Samson would go on to defeat the Phillistines, reminding the people that God’s strength had not abandoned them, that he draws near to them to save them.  And of course John the Baptist calls people to repentance, helping them prepare for the coming Messiah, once again, that God is drawing near to them to save them.

During these final days of Advent, may we take seriously the Church’s call to quietly reflect upon the coming of Christ, upon God who draws near to us to save us, how he often quietly works within us to fill us with true peace and joy for the glory of God and salvation of souls.