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Theme: Prepare the Way for the Lord
In the fifth year of the Babylonian exile around 583 BC, God raised the prophet Baruch, Jeremiah’s secretary to speak to the Israelites about their sins. Hearing the words of the prophet Baruch, they went into the wilderness of their hearts, wept, fasted and prayed for forgiveness. They contributed some money and sent to the priest Jehoiakim and other priests in Jerusalem for holocaust and sin offering (cf. Baruch 1:1-7). True to His steadfast love, God forgave all their sins and consoled them.
God also consoled and blessed their land Jerusalem and that is why in the first reading (Baruch 5:1-9) we see the consolation and blessing of Jerusalem. God promised to show the slpendour of Jerusalem to every nation under heaven and He gave her the name “Peace through integrity and honour through steadfastness”. God also promised to flatten every high mountain, fill the valleys and make the ground level for the Israelites to walk back home in safety under the glory of God.
We all are like the Israelites in our spiritual journey. We have remained unfaithful to God and as a result, have fallen into the captivity of sin and death. When the prophets remind us of our sinfulness, we feel very sorry and offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. Before now, those sacrifices were imperfect and incapable of perfect cleansing. A perfect victim was needed for a perfect sacrifice and for this perfect sacrifice to take place, there must be an authentic and perfect preparation.
Please Click Here to Read more » uwakwereflections.com/2012/12/reflectionhomily-2nd-sunday-of-advent.html
In the fifth year of the Babylonian exile around 583 BC, God raised the prophet Baruch, Jeremiah’s secretary to speak to the Israelites about their sins. Hearing the words of the prophet Baruch, they went into the wilderness of their hearts, wept, fasted and prayed for forgiveness. They contributed some money and sent to the priest Jehoiakim and other priests in Jerusalem for holocaust and sin offering (cf. Baruch 1:1-7). True to His steadfast love, God forgave all their sins and consoled them.
God also consoled and blessed their land Jerusalem and that is why in the first reading (Baruch 5:1-9) we see the consolation and blessing of Jerusalem. God promised to show the slpendour of Jerusalem to every nation under heaven and He gave her the name “Peace through integrity and honour through steadfastness”. God also promised to flatten every high mountain, fill the valleys and make the ground level for the Israelites to walk back home in safety under the glory of God.
We all are like the Israelites in our spiritual journey. We have remained unfaithful to God and as a result, have fallen into the captivity of sin and death. When the prophets remind us of our sinfulness, we feel very sorry and offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. Before now, those sacrifices were imperfect and incapable of perfect cleansing. A perfect victim was needed for a perfect sacrifice and for this perfect sacrifice to take place, there must be an authentic and perfect preparation.
Please Click Here to Read more » uwakwereflections.com/2012/12/reflectionhomily-2nd-sunday-of-advent.html