Second Sunday of Advent/B
Massimo Palombella
The Gospel proclaimed today contains the beginning of Mark’s Gospel (Mk 1:1-8), where the text of the prophet Isaiah proclaimed in the first reading (Is 40:1-5.9-11) is immediately quoted.
In this journey that will lead us to celebrate the Lord’s birth, we are invited to “prepare the way of the Lord” in order to become capable of seeing the “glory of the Lord”.
Irenaeus of Lyon, in his “Treatise Against Heresies” writes a phrase that has become famous in the ecclesial context: “The glory of God is the living man” (Treatise Against Heresies, IV, 20, 5-7 [SC 100, 640-642. 644-648]). Preparing the way of the Lord means questioning our being truly ‘alive’. In essence, “preparing the way of the Lord” means allowing ourselves to live, giving us the possibility to be the persons we can be, leaving behind – not without effort – all that illudes us to live, but instead limits and reduces our existence.
To wait for the Lord, to “prepare his way” is to encounter in truth our need for life, for meaning, to love, to be loved… our being “alive”, in the conquered awareness that He, the Lord, is the true fulfilment of our every desire.
This is seeing, this is being in the “glory of the Lord”, in his fullness, and only here – regardless of situations, discomfort, difficulties – does our life acquire that “quality” that truly makes it worth living.
The Gradual of today’s celebration is taken from Psalm 40 (Ps 40, 2. 3. 5) with the following text:
“Ex Sion species decoris eius:
Deus manifeste veniet.
Congregate illi sanctos eius,
qui ordinaverunt testamentum eius super sacrificia.”
(Out of Zion his perfect beauty shines forth.
God is coming in broad daylight.
Summon before him
the consecrated nation who made a covenant with him by sacrifice).
The attached music, in Gregorian Chant, is taken from the Gradual Triplex published in Solesmes in 1979. The performance is by the Choralschola der Wiener Hofburgkapelle conducted by Hubert Dopf. The music track can be found on the CD Gregorian Chant for the Church Year published by Universal International Music B.V. in 1997.
A blessed Sunday and heartfelt greetings.
