My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 Although John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness, his new teaching spread far and wide, and many people sought him out.  Their first question was: What does repentance mean in practice? John’s advice is simple and practical: Live charitably and honestly.

            Luke, however, adds two details that would have alerted his readers to the fact that this message was not just for the righteous, but for those on the margins – those whom the respectable folk would see as sinners.

            The first are tax collectors – figures of hatred at the time John was preaching.  In the first place, they collected taxes on behalf of the occupying Roman forces, and also were notorious for creaming off a little extra for themselves.  John does not tell them to give up their work – but to do it honestly and fairly.

            The next group mentioned by name are soldiers.  He does not specify whether they are Jewish or Roman, but the latter is more likely.  Again, John dies not condemn their work or insist that they give it up in order to be baptized.  Rather, he says that they must conduct themselves honorably and not abuse the position of power in which they find themselves.

            This drawing in of those on the margins led people to wonder if this was the one who was to proclaim salvation to the whole world; but John knew otherwise.  He was the messenger sent to prepare the world, not to save it.  He was sent to begin gathering the harvest; but the one to come would winnow it and separate grain from chaff, determining who will enter the Kingdom and who will not.

            Thus, the question for us is: “what should we do during this Advent according to St. John?”  The grain is what has the capacity to bear fruit – the chaff will blow away or be burnt in the fire.  Those who repent and live according to the directives John lays down will have the capacity to bear fruit in their own way of life.  A tax collector who does not cheat – or a soldier who does not extort – will soon be marked out as different.  They may suffer ridicule and be tempted by the siren voices: “Everyone does it.”  But, holding firm to their principles, they will set an example of living that will influence others: What is it that these people have that causes them to behave like this?

            In our own day – and in our own work – the challenge remains the same: Do we really repent from our sins?

With love,
Fr. Thuong hoai Nguyen

Advent is the time to wait for the Savior.  The spirit of Advent is to pray and to implore.  In striving to do this, we can learn from those who solemnly prepared the Savior’s way.  Each of them had their own way of pointing out ways for us to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

The visitation of Mary to Elizabeth: “In those days, Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.” (Lk 1:39-40).  As we know, the distance from Nazareth to Elizabeth’s village is about 100 miles.  If walking, it will take four days and four nights.  But Mary went out in haste because she wanted to share the Good New with her cousin.  When Mary greeted Elizabeth, even St. John in the womb had to jump with joy, the joy of salvation coming from Mary.  Thus, to share the joy of salvation and to do charitable work are signs to prepare us for the coming of the Lord.

Elizabeth felt the spirit of transformation: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  She exclaimed with a loud voice: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child in your womb.” (Lk 1:41-42.)  When Elizabeth received the power of the Holy Spirit, she was so sharp with God’s grace that she recognized immediately who was blessed by God, namely Mary and her Son.  Then Elizabeth prompted Mary to proclaim the Magnificat: Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”  Thus, to feel the spirit of transformation and to praise God are signs to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

Zachariah talked about his son, John: “And your child will be called the prophet of the Most High.  For you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.” (Lk 1:76-77).  John became John the Baptist later because he had helped people convert and come back to God.  In order to receive the gift of forgiveness, we have to acknowledge who we are: sinners.  We need the mercy of God and to immerse ourselves into the Love of God.  Thus, to repent and to recognize God’s mercy are signs to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

My dear brothers and sisters, let us take time and meditate on the spirit of Advent so that we might experience the power of forgiveness and the mercy of our God.

May God bless all of us this Advent.

Fr. Thuong Hoai Nguyen, Pastor

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