Immaculate by Baptism - Reflection 2nd Sunday of Advent

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Today, December 8th, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The Immaculate Conception is the fact the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. The Immaculate Conception was not Jesus’ birth. It was about what was needed before Christ became man. It was about a holy and pure vessel given to us to carry Christ.

This is also the second Sunday of Advent; John the Baptist Sunday. The gospel tell us about him. He lived off locust and honey. He wore a camel skin loin cloth and tied it with a leather belt.

He went about in the desert preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

He was a voice crying out in the wilderness.

Like Mary, He was one  prophesied and needed before the coming of the LORD.

Mary was born into the wilderness of a world t full of sin. It was sin come to us from our first parents. The sin of disobedience, pride, and worldliness that we all suffer from and it was also the sin of listening to the things that tempts us to turn away from God. 

Today we are victims of that sin. When Mary was conceived and came into the world, people were victims of that sin.

When John the Baptist preached, people were victims of that sin. 

We are all sinners.

How many worshiped at the altar of LSU football yesterday?

I was there.

As we drive about in our car, how many see homeless, hungry, men and women who would take such joy to come in and sit in a warm house, watch television, and eat all those football game day snacks.

And we in our cars just speed on by.

It's not that we think we are better than them, though some do. It's not that we think that they are swindlers just out to get  money, though some do. It’s not so many things. The one thing probably true in this for many of us is we are scared.

Scared because of where we are physically and in our life. Scared because we imagined what could happen. Scared because that person we speed by on a dark night could be us.

That’s how close we are to each other in this world. That’s how our lives are interdependent on one another. Are we homeless or not? The interdependence of people lives in justice and dignity are just a few steps away from being inside that speeding car or outside.

Because of fear, we turn our back on that interdependence and are unable to welcome those outside of us in the love and generosity of Christ.  

Interdependence  requires us to open ourselves, our hearts, and our lives not because we are brave or empathetic or generous but for the glory of God. Because in God is the spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He is where we discover a spirit of counsel and of strength.

It is where we find the spirit to understand how we are all interdependent on one another as is all of humanity.

John may not have realized the interdependence between him and the messiah to come. But there was some things he did know. John knew about interdependence. He was a voice of one crying out in the wilderness. He knew the interdependence of the baptism he proclaimed and the forgiveness of sins. He knew the interdependence of the relationship of people around him.

And,  if John saw us here in this church, would he see Sadducee and Pharisee. Would he call us out? Would he slay the wickedness in us?

Would he tell us - Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance?

We can fail at that. We were not born without original sin.  We have that inside of us from our first parents. The sin of disobedience, pride, and worldliness that we all suffer from and it was also the sin of listening to the things that tempts us to turn away from God.

The answer the LORD gave to us was to be like Mary. To be washed clean of sin by the baptism that John the Baptist preached.

God wants to be free of sin. God wants us to be an immaculate and pure vessel for the Christ that is in us; made immaculate in baptism

Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the lands afflicted.

Jesus wants us to come to him. Come today. Come to be reconciled.

Come to be filled with the spirit of courage, knowledge, and strength needed to bring to the interdependence between each and every one of us.

There will always be those dependent on us. There will always be those dependent on us to know Christ. There will always be those dependent on us for a better life, for justice, dignity, and for love.

If each of us examines our life, we will see we need the same.

Be good be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another.

Amen