“Mountains and Valleys” (Homily for Advent 2)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB)
Advent2 – Mountains and Valleys (7:43)
Advent, 2nd Sunday. [not recorded live] Isaiah has good news for his people – God himself is coming to visit them. The mountains and hills will be made low and the valleys filled in to make way for the coming of the King. Our God is coming to visit us, but we have to make a way for him into our heart. What do we have to do to prepare our hearts? Isaiah gives us a clue:
Make low the mountains of our pride. How often do we think that we are better than than everyone else, that God couldn’t possibly help much beyond what we can do for ourselves, and that a little visit might be fine but we really don’t need a savior? Those are the mountains of our pride.
Fill in the valleys of our worthlessness. And then there are the times when we think everyone else is better than us, that God couldn’t possibly love someone like me, and why should I get ready because he wouldn’t even bother visiting someone like me. These are the valleys of our worthlessness.
The Baby Jesus is the antidote to both our pride and our worthlessness. He is innocent and humble and shows us that God is not proud. God chose to be a helpless baby. But he also comes to dwell with us. We receive him in Holy Communion at Mass. How could we be worthless if we receive our Savior? The Baby Jesus levels the mountains of our pride and fills in the valleys of our worthlessness. Our God himself wants to visit us. Make space for God.
(4 Dec 2011)
Twelve Lessons on the Catholic Faith – by Fr. Benjamin Sember
Subscribe to the Homily Podcast
