Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

We are currently in a dark time of the year. The mornings are dark, and the evenings are even darker. Light is scarce, and we have yet to reach the year's shortest day. In this darkness, we have lit our second Advent candle. So, while the days are getting darker, our Advent wreath is becoming brighter. The illumination from our Advent readings draws us toward the grand celebration of light—Christmas, commemorating the One who is the light of the world. With Jesus' birth, the light of God's love shines forth. Our first reading anticipates a day when "God [will lead] Israel in joy by the light of his glory."

Advent is a season of hope, a virtue that transcends mere optimism. Our hope is not in the mundane but in union with God. It's a hope that can bring life out of death and light out of darkness. We pray for those currently facing dark days—those who feel uncertain in their jobs, health, or home lives, and displaced people hoping for a better life. Hope has the power to transform even the darkest of days.

Our second reading is from a letter St. Paul wrote while chained in prison. He wasn't sure he would get out alive, but this was his most hopeful and joyful letter. It reveals that one can stay hopeful even when circumstances seem dark. 

It's easy to surrender to a pessimistic view of life during dark times. But St. Paul encourages us to see life, especially people, through a lens of hope, even in the toughest of times. This hopeful perspective allows us to recognize the good in people's lives. He expresses hope that God, who began a good work in us, will bring it to completion. He has high hopes for what people can become with God's help. Let us remember to see others with the same hopeful eyes.

May we see ourselves with hopeful eyes, too. God's good work has only begun in us; we are a work in progress, and God will complete this good work. But we need to cooperate with the workings of grace. Only when our days on earth are complete will this work be done, and we will achieve the perfect goodness that Jesus Christ produces in us.