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December 1, 2021Second Sunday of Advent
“There’s only 2 seasons in Illinois: winter and construction.” We’ve all heard this phrase about perpetual road work in Illinois. We know from driving through roadways that are under construction what a huge project it can be. In the Gospel, John the Baptist was calling on people to start some serious roadwork: to make a straight and level road for the arrival of God. Some might find it hard to imagine God arriving on a road, but Luke places God smack dab in the middle of human messiness, in human history, by naming all of the government and religious leaders in charge at the time. What does it mean to prepare a way for God? Part of it, according to Jesus’ preaching the Good News, is repentance, which is really a call to conversion, to see differently...to see as God sees. Whatever messiness we are dealing with, shame, guilt, anger, difficulty forgiving, health issues, loss... God wants to meet you in the middle of it, to walk with you. Conversion is lifelong. It's a journey that unfolds like any relationship. It can happen through prayer such as lectio divina and praying as a family before dinner, action such as helping at the food pantry and participating in the giving tree, and community such as worshipping God in Mass and connecting with your parish family. Our parish is focusing now on the theme: Let’s Walk Together, which serves as a great reminder that the process of conversion is not something we do alone. It takes our whole community, supporting one another, listening, bearing each other's burdens...being as Christ to one another. We are a community called to work together in preparing one another and our world for God’s Kingdom of radical love. Are you in? Let’s walk together!
