| Homily
for the 2nd Sunday in Advent: December 9, 2007
Given by the Most
Reverend Stephen E. Blaire at the Cathedral of the Annunciation
in Stockton.
As we proceed in the season of Advent the message of John the Baptist becomes more intense. “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.” “…every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” “…the one who is coming after me will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The message of John became the message of Jesus. “The kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the good news.” The kingdom of God – the reign of God – means Christ Himself who brings peace and justice and reconciliation to the world. “Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb.” “The cow and the bear shall be neighbors.”
The kingdom of God begins to be a reality when the hungry are fed, when the homeless are housed, when the uninsured receive healthcare, when those searching for a livelihood are employed, when the poor are educated, when each human being is treated with dignity. The kingdom of God is proclaimed by Jesus, but must be received and acted upon. The Church is the servant of the Kingdom. And we are that Church.
Today in a particular way the Bishops of California call our attention to the plight of the immigrant, the pressing need for comprehensive immigration reform and the gospel call to respond to the cry of the poor regardless of their legal status. The Church understands the need for secure borders. The Church does not encourage illegal immigration. But the Church is the friend of the immigrant. The Church is a Church of immigrants. We cannot forget that in the earlier waves of immigration the Italians, the Germans, the Irish and many other Catholic immigrants were the recipients of the same kind of meanness and hatred toward immigrants that currently is turning out the lights on the statue of liberty and covering over her message of welcome. With a miniscule exception, the immigrant does not come here as a criminal but as one looking to feed one’s family and to earn a honest living, most of the time doing the hardest of labor that no one else will do. The Church hears the voice of her Lord spoken through St. Paul: “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
We prepare for Christmas – for the spiritual coming of Christ – by a new conversion, a new repentance, a fresh start on the journey to the God of Peace and Justice. We prepare the way of the Lord by making straight the paths for all those who are poor and in need.
Last Update December 10, 2007
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