Homily: Second Sunday of Advent: 2007

Brothers and sisters, I have been told that Advent is a time of introspection, and I think that's a fair statement. So, I've been thinking, quietly, not excitedly like the culture has, and I think that not all about our religion is pretty nor attractive nor for lack of a better word, "tame." I think it's a force to be reckoned with, and I think it's radical and scary and controversial. I think to atheists it's a puzzlement -- and a dangerous one at that. What did Algernon Swinburne say:

Thou hast conquered, O pale Galilean,
And the world hast grown grey with thy breath . . .

And I think that's an accurate, if poetic, description of how the world looks at Christianity. I think it hints of dark doings and fastings and asceticism that the writer doesn't understand, but I think that there's an element of truth to it. Because I think that Jesus HAS conquered -- and will conquer, and that makes some people very, very nervous. Listen to today's first reading, a prophecy about Him:

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

A friend made me think about Jesus, specifically: is He unique enough to justify attempting to convert others of long-standing mainstream non-Christian religions, such as Buddhism? Well, although Jesus is similar to all of us -- He is a man, after all -- and has qualities similar to other deities (or ideas of the One Deity), because He is God, as well, I think that He IS indeed unique . . . certainly "unique enough"! I have close family members who are Buddhists, and let me tell you, their peace of spirit and equanimity is to be greatly admired. Their devotion is strong, and humble, and rooted in deep tradition. But, heck, the same could be said of the pagan Stoics, and that doesn't make Zeus a real god! :) Jesus IS, Jesus WAS, true: a real, live personage who lived on this earth. He existed. But the things He said, the things He did, could not be explained as a mere man. A mere man who claims to be God is either insane or evil: a fool or a knave. And the beauty of Our Lord's teachings (recognizable to all), and the profundity of His miracles make it clear He was neither. He MUST be God. And who ever died and rose again? THAT surely is unique! (Of course, one could deny He actually died, as do the Muslims, but that is a different story. -- And unlikely. The Romans, the Roman Army in particular, were experts in death.)

"Jesus kept pointing people to himself, saying, 'Come unto me.' Buddha said, 'Look not to me; look to my dharma (doctrine).' Buddha also said, 'Be ye lamps unto yourselves.' Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world.' Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad and other religious founders performed no miracles and did not rise from the dead. Jesus offered his many miracles and his resurrection as evidence for his divinity." - Peter Kreeft. But even given that -- that He is indeed unique and worth sharing with, and inviting conversion from Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, et. al., -- I think we need to know what we are getting into. (And Advent is the perfect time to contemplate that.) What does St. John the Baptist say about Him in the Gospel today:

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

And what, pray tell, is "baptism by fire"? Ooh, it's bad. It hurts. It's radical and extreme, though strengthening and enlightening. I won't say it's mindless "hazing" -- it's more like a fireman's first fire, or a soldier's first battle, or a doctor's first surgery. It's being thrown into the pool and told to swim. Yikes. But if we endure it, if we rise to the challenge, if we do our best, well, there's nothing better.

So, let's welcome Him into our homes and our hearts, by all means, but realize what we are asking for!

[pause]

Let us now profess our faith . . .