December 7 • Second Sunday of Advent
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
— Matthew 3: 10
There is no doubt that the prophets could be harsh in their proclamations. In his words above, the prophet John the Baptist leaves no room for gray areas. So, while it is understood that salvation always comes from God, God does expect and await human cooperation. As we see in today’s readings, Matthew underscores the human role in bringing about a world ruled by divine values.
One of the documents of the Second Vatican Council is the “Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People.” This document calls for the laity to exercise their cooperation as agents of God’s saving grace and help create a new human community of justice based on right relationships with God, with other humans, and with the material world. The document states:
Lay people, sharing in the priestly, prophetical and kingly office of Christ, play their part in the mission of the whole people of God in the church and in the world. In the concrete, their apostolate is exercised when they work to evangelize people and make them holy; it is exercised, too, when they endeavor to have the Gospel spirit permeate and improve the temporal order, going about it in a way that bears clear witness to Christ and helps forward the salvation of humanity (2).
Echoing the words of John of the Baptist in a kinder fashion, the document states. . .members who fail to do their best to promote the growth of the body must be considered unhelpful both to the church and to themselves (2).
As you light the second Advent candle, reflect a moment on what the world would look like if we all participated in bringing about God’s vision of a just world. In the broad strokes of an artist’s brush, people would work together to meet the needs of all, the physical world would function as a peaceful unity, and all kinds of artificially created boundaries would dissolve. On the lines below, write down one brush stroke that you could do as a visible act to help in the creation of a just world.
Producing a work of art takes many brush strokes. Producing a good crop of fruit takes a community working together. Producing a better world takes living our faith to a whole new level. Prepare this Advent to give the gift of yourself.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director
Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministrie
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC