Advent ‘clearing operations’

Question: How do say in Ilocano, “The road is nice?”

Answer: “Ok ngarud”

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In today’s Gospel (Luke 3: 1-6), we hear about John the Baptist whose message was: “Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight His paths.” Are there things, people, or issues that slow down or block the road ahead of us in our journey to God’s heart?

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Today, the second Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of PEACE. We cannot have true peace if we are not at peace with God, with people, and with ourselves. Advent is the time for cleaning up and clearing operations, and it all starts in our hearts.

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Be at peace with God. A good confession is a beautiful gift to God and to oneself in this holy season of Advent. The best preparation is to have a good confession. May the Lord give us the grace to be honest, to be humble to God, and be reconciled with Him. God is good, loving, and merciful. No sin is too big nor too many for Him who loves us truly and dearly.

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Be at peace with others. Advent is the time to reach out to others in peace and reconciliation. Let us humble ourselves to one another, break down the walls of hatred and indifference that divide us, and be united again. May we have no regrets in the end that we did not go the extra mile and refused to give the extra smile. Let us give God a chance to help us open our hearts to one another.

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Be at peace with yourself. Advent is the time to really take a good look at ourselves, and look at how we are doing in our journey to God’s heart.

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Let us ask ourselves: Am I closer to God now than last year? Is my relationship with God more real and more personal now? Am I a better person now? Am I more happy, more kind, more humble, more at peace?

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“Prepare the ways of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Luke 3:5) What needs to be straightened in your life? What “valley” in you needs to be filled up? What “mountains” and “hills” in you need to be made low? What “winding roads” need to be made straight? What in your flesh and mortal body needs to be saved?

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The Lord tells us today what we need to be cleansed as a people: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

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We need a lot of “clearing operations” in our country. People who have the power and authority, please don’t miss your God-given opportunity to really serve our people. Please remember that it is just a matter of time before you and I will be gone from this world. May we not hear from our Lord when we face Him in the end, the sad words, “You wasted your chance to love and serve me and others, just because you loved yourself too much.”

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Who remembers now the names of big time leaders and politicians during the time of Jesus? Who remembers still Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, and his brother Philip, Annas, and Caiaphas? Hardly anyone, or none at all. Such is the fate of powerful, vain, and selfish people who forget God and His people during their times of abundance, power, and fame.

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People forget how much you are, how brilliant you are, how powerful you are, but people never forget how kind you are to them, and how you made them feel good about themselves.

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As we honor our Mama Mary on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, let us be filled with the hope that we, sinners as we are, can also become like her in our own way by walking with her on the road of humility. Let us continue to be humble to our Lord and to one another. We still have so much to learn about true humility and true love.

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Remembering Mama on her birthday, Dec. 8. One lesson that has helped me to have peace in my journey through life is her teaching about “merito.” She taught us to see problems, deprivations, sickness, and persecutions as opportunities to gain merit from God and that it is our merits that will help us to be blessed, and go to Heaven someday.

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Dec. 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Let us seek comfort and courage from her loving message: “I am here. I am your Mother. Do not fear. I am near.”

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, help us to be open and to be steadfast in whatever “clearing operations” we need as we journey on. Amen.

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