[00:00:05] Hello! My name is Sally Moriarty-Flask; welcome to From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, December 8, 2024, the 2nd Sunday of Advent.
[00:00:23] This week's episode is entitled: Prepare the Way and in these readings, we'll ask ourselves whether or not we really take the time to listen to the message of peace and hope and unity of this season, or do we prefer to hold onto those things that divide us?
[00:00:46] As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following: John the Baptist calls us to repentance, but are we listening? We may be preparing our homes for the coming of Jesus, but are we preparing our hearts?
[00:01:07] Let's begin.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:11] Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the wonderful people you bring into our lives, the gifts and blessings you bestow upon us, and the beauty of this season. Help us to be open to you and to repent with sincere hearts so that we can share your love and mercy with everyone we encounter. We ask this through him whose coming is certain, whose day draws near, Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
[00:01:43] In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:48] Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:01:54] Our Gospel this week is from Luke 3: 1-6.
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tibe’rius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturae’a and Trachoni’tis, and Lysa’nias tetrarch of Abile’ne, in the high-priesthood of Annas and Ca’iaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechari’ah in the wilderness; and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
[00:03:02] This 2nd Sunday of Advent obviously focuses on John the Baptist, specifically on his preaching about repentance. Remember, John the Baptist serves as a precursor to Jesus and his public ministry by offering the Jewish people a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Remember, too, that Luke was not a disciple of Jesus. He is what is sometimes referred to as a 2nd Generation Disciple, in other words, he did not encounter Jesus himself, but relied on those who were eyewitnesses - who did encounter Jesus - to provide the details necessary to compose his Gospel. Luke's Gospel also has a very historical framework, meaning that it is often rich in historical details as a means of authenticating the early Christian faith. So, let's explore this week's Gospel...
[00:04:08] “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tibe’rius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturae’a and Trachoni’tis, and Lysa’nias tetrarch of Abile’ne, in the high-priesthood of Annas and Ca’iaphas,”
[00:04:27] Okay, that is a lot of details rattled off very quickly. Luke is attempting to ensure the historicity of his Gospel, meaning that he is using historical details to corroborate facts, indicate legitimate and verifiable places and times, and pinpoint events that surround things that really happened, and these written accounts are accurate and trustworthy. So, let's break all those things down just a little bit.
[00:04:58] “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tibe’rius Caesar,”
Tiberius Caesar succeeded his father Augustus in 14 AD and reigned until 37 AD, so the 15th year of his reign would have been about 29 AD okay, got it. Next…
“Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea,”
Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of the province of Judea from 26 to 36 AD. Okay, that tracks! Next…
[00:05:31] “Herod being tetrarch of Galilee,”
Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, served as tetrarch of Galilee from 4 to 39 AD. Okay, that lines up too. Next…
“his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturae’a and Trachoni’tis,”
[00:05:52] Philip, also called Herod Philip, was actually the half-brother of Herod Antipas, but he did serve as tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis from 4 to 34 AD - okay, we're still on track. Next, we have…
“Lysa’nias tetrarch of Abile’ne”
This snippet has always confounded theologians. According to Josephus, who was a 1st century Jewish historian, Lysanias was the son of Ptolemy and he was executed by Mark Antony in 36 BC. So, he couldn't possibly have been tetrarch of Abilene at the time Luke indicates. Did Luke get the date wrong? Did he write down the wrong name? Or was Josephus - himself a respected historian - wrong in his detail? All of those things seem highly unlikely. So how do we explain this apparent discrepancy? Well, it seems likely - now - that we just didn't have the full story.
[00:07:03] An inscription was discovered in Abilene (another name for that is Abila - if you want to look it up: A-B-I-L-A), but an inscription was discovered in the early 2000s which recorded that Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene and dates his rule there from 14 to 29 AD. Hmm… problem solved. We're back on track. Next, we hear…
[00:07:30] “in the high-priesthood of Annas and Ca’iaphas,”
This is another detail that seems to run counter to Luke's attempt to situate this event firmly in established history. Because Annas served as high priest from 6 - 15 A.D. that does not track with our timeline. So, what about Caiaphas? Caiaphas, who was actually a son-in-law of Annas, served as high priest from 18 to 36 AD, which does track with our timeline. Here's what some have suggested. Given the fact that Annas was one of the most socially and politically influential people in Israel at the time, it is often suggested that he never really relinquished the reigns - the power - of the high priesthood, but rather served as a sort of shadow ruler, a ruler behind the altar, so to speak. Which would track with Luke's statement about Annas and Caiaphas serving as high priests together. In fact, Annas had five sons who all served as high priests and one son-in-law, Caiaphas, who's mentioned in the Gospel. So, an extremely influential man who may very well have been totally unwilling to give up the power of the high priesthood… so Annas and Caiaphas may have ruled together as high priest - served together as high priests. So, okay, that puts us back on track. So, with all those details put together, it appears that Luke really did accomplish his goal of establishing a factual, verifiable set of details that line up with actual recorded history. The most interesting detail - for me - in all of this is that Luke sets the stage for what's coming, amidst all of these major events in history linked to politically important and influential people, only to quickly pivot and then focus on a relatively minor and - in the grand political and social scheme of things - unimportant character. I find that quite fascinating!
[00:09:53] Now that we've situated ourselves firmly within the historical record, Luke goes on…
“the word of God came to John the son of Zechari’ah in the wilderness;”
[00:10:04] Remember, Zechariah was himself a priest, a descendant of Aaron. And John, according to tradition, spent a significant portion of his life among the men of the Essene community in the desert, east of the Dead Sea. So, it comes as no surprise to us that he would undertake a public ministry in the wilderness. And it's worth mentioning the NAB translates that as desert… “in the desert.”
[00:10:33] I will post pictures on my Instagram this week showing excavations of the Qumran area where the Essenes lived, which is out, as I mentioned, in the desert.
[00:10:49] “and he went into all the region about the Jordan,”
Remember, the Jordan River flows out of the Sea of Galilee (up north) goes all the way down and ends in the Dead Sea. I will also include photos of the Jordan River where John would have baptized his followers. Don't expect anything breathtaking or exciting anymore… the Jordan River is now more like a very large stream than a river, and it's pretty muddy and dirty just by way of preparation for those pictures. And John was…
“preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
Repentance, we need to understand, means a conversion, a change of mind, a change of heart. John's baptism of repentance is much more of a Jewish ritual washing than what we would consider to be the Sacrament of Baptism as we know it today. John is actually basing his baptism on the words of Isaiah 1: “Wash yourselves clean; remove your misdeeds; cease doing evil.” That's his reference point. And John would have been very well versed in the writings of Isaiah. And we see that in the next section when John actually quotes Isaiah 40, he says…
“As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
[00:12:44] Remember, John's quoting Isaiah here, and those words were originally addressed to the exiles in Babylon predicting the return from exile to the Promised Land. But John is using them to speak to a different audience. For John, the words ALL FLESH indicate the promise - first made in Isaiah - is now intended for all mankind… Jews, certainly, but not only Jews.
[00:13:15] And while Isaiah uses the words the SALVATION OF GOD to describe the return of the exiles from Babylon to their homeland - to the Promised Land - John is speaking of actual salvation, the deliverance from sin.
[00:13:31] John uses the Jewish ritual washing as a backdrop for his baptism of repentance. But we also have to understand that it's different. This isn't just another mikveh (that's what a Jewish ritual washing is called). It's not just another ritual purification. This is - and will become with Jesus - something new. That newness will be fully accomplished by Christ.
[00:14:07] So, this is a good time to take stock. There was a lot of information in that Gospel. But did we pay attention to the most important part? Did we listen to John the Baptist? Do we hear his preaching of repentance so that we can help prepare the way for the Lord to enter into our hearts? Or are we holding on to those valleys that divide us one from another? Are we building up mountains to separate ourselves from those who have hurt us, for those who are difficult to deal with, for those who challenge us?
[00:14:49] It's not too late to change our minds, to change our hearts. Not for any of us. That's what Advent is all about.
[00:15:00] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Baruch 5: 1-9.
[00:15:08] “Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on for ever the beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of righteousness from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting. For God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven. For your name will for ever be called by God, ‘Peace of righteousness and glory of godliness.’ Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height and look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east, at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. For they went forth from you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory, as on a royal throne. For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. The woods and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel at God's command. For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.”
[00:16:36] Okay, the Book of Baruch is part of the Apocrypha - those books included in the canon of Scripture by Catholics and Orthodox churches, but rejected by Protestant traditions. I'm not going to delve into that debate right now… this is neither the time nor the place…. but I offer that detail more by way of information than anything else. Baruch is identified by Josephus (the very same 1st century historian I mentioned when I was talking about the Gospel) as the manager of King Zedekiah's household, and later as a scribe for the prophet Jeremiah. His book is a collection of prayers, poems, and prophetic speeches - probably written by a number of authors, but in the end, all attributed to Baruch… and think here of the book of Isaiah, where we had three different authors, all attributed to the original prophet.
[00:17:40] This particular passage is a poem of consolation written for the exiles in Babylon, but addressed to the city of Jerusalem, personified as a woman who is in mourning. The best comparison I can offer for this is to the Jewish custom of what is called sitting Shiva. Shiva is a seven-day period of ritual mourning beginning with the funeral. So, with that in mind, let's dive into Baruch…
[00:18:15] “Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on for ever the beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of righteousness from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting.”
Baruch is essentially saying to Jerusalem - snap out of it! Cease your mourning and weeping! Your children (the exiles) are returning, so get up, wash your face, get dressed, and make yourself presentable!
[00:18:50] And when he uses the words THE GLORY OF THE EVERLASTING - that means God… put on the glory of God. Put on the glory of God as a diadem - as a crown upon your head. And that would have reminded faithful Jews of the miter of Aaron, which displays a seal - or displayed a seal – saying: “Holy to the Lord.” Baruch goes on…
“For God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.”
In other words, there's no longer any reason to be ashamed!
“For your name will for ever be called by God, “Peace of righteousness and glory of godliness.”
Remember, name changes are always significant - even when they are changed for places. A change of name equates a change in mission or purpose. And Jerusalem's new name indicates that her mission will change when her glory is restored and her purpose will be transformed when her people return.
[00:19:57] “Arise, O Jerusalem,”
Again, this is reminiscent of the end of sitting shiva. It's called sitting shiva because mourners would have been seated traditionally on low stools, demonstrating in a very outward, visible, physical manner that their hearts and minds had been brought low by grief. So, Baruch says: Arise, stand up!
“stand upon the height”
Meaning atop Mount Zion - where the city of Jerusalem, of course, was built.
“and look toward the east,”
What is he indicating here? Look toward Babylon. In other words, go and wait for your children to arrive… they are drawing near…they are coming close… go get ready for them. When I read through this this year, I couldn't help but be reminded of the old 19th century widow's walks on houses that would have been built atop homes on the east coast particularly. Widow's walks were where the wives of mariners would stand and often pace back and forth, looking out to sea and watching for the return of their spouses’ ships. So, stand up on the heights, go up on the top of Mount Zion, Jerusalem, and wait… watch for your children to return.
“and see your children gathered from west and east, at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them.”
So, yes, certainly this refers to the exiles returning from Babylon, but also to the entire Diaspora - all the scattered children of Jerusalem that went to all lands, in all places… all of them will return.
“For they went forth from you on foot, led away by their enemies;”
In other words, they were driven unwillingly and ignominiously into exile.
“but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory, as on a royal throne.”
They may have gone out in sadness, but they will be carried back in glory as if they were conquering heroes.
“For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.”
We have to hear the echo of Isaiah in those words, right? Mountains made low, valleys filled in, ground made level… you can see why this passage was paired with today's Gospel!
“The woods and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel at God's command.”
[00:22:54] What Baruch is saying here is that the exiles will travel in comfort. This image of travel is of the exiles being protected by the ravages of a relentless desert sun. Yes, the trees shading them, but the broader message is that they will be safe and protected from every danger… not just sun, not just heat, but every danger.
[00:23:27] “For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.”
[00:23:37] Lady Jerusalem will be restored to her former glory with the return of her beloved children, brought back to her by God Himself in mercy and justice.
[00:23:53] I've been focusing on the Jewish viewpoint throughout this reading because it was written specifically for the exiles in Babylon. But we need to also understand why it was chosen for this week in Advent and what it means for us… and we do that as always, by looking at it - reading it - through the lens of the New Testament. Christians see, in this passage, God leading his people - all of his people - into a time of salvation, into the kingdom, into the heavenly city, into the mercy and righteousness that comes to us from God through Christ, his Son. And what is the heavenly city? It is the new and eternal Jerusalem described for us in the book of Revelation. The heavenly city eagerly awaits the arrival of her children from all peoples, places, and times - led to the glory of eternal salvation by Jesus himself.
[00:25:07] And given that images of restoration and reconciliation have appeared twice in our readings this week, it's worth revisiting our earlier questions. Are we - foolishly sometimes - holding on to the valleys in our lives, all those things that divide us from one another, because they're comfortable?
[00:25:32] Are we stubbornly building mountains out of small slights or maybe even large affronts because it's easier to separate ourselves from those who have hurt us, those who are difficult or challenging? It's easier to separate ourselves than it is to resolve our problems. Resolving problems, as we all know, takes time and effort and compromise and love and concern. That takes a lot of effort. The Scriptures are telling us to… snap out of it! Don't waste time holding grudges. We can recover a lot of things… but time isn't one of them. Time is a precious commodity, and once it's spent- once it's gone - it can't be recovered. So, snap out of it! Me, you, all of us! We need to snap out of it and be prepared.
[00:26:38] Our Psalm this week is Psalm 126 and the refrain is…
“The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.”
The difference in the NAB, that you will hear in local Catholic parishes this weekend, is: “We are filled with joy.” I'll go more deeply into that next week, but I wanted to point out here that gladness and joy are not necessarily the same thing. Again, I'll go into a little bit more next week, but I wanted to point it out while we're here. Regardless of that, here are the verses…
“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the water courses in the Neg’eb! May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy! He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seeds for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”
[00:27:48] This is a Communal Lament and we are fortunate to hear the entirety of that Psalm here because it's really very short.
[00:27:57] This is one of those Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120 - 134), those Psalms that would have been sung or chanted as part of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. And remember, pilgrims would ascend - or go up - Mount Zion to reach the city of Jerusalem. Hence the designation Ascent Psalms. And one last note, actually a couple last notes, before we go on… the Negeb, mentioned in this Psalm… LIKE WATERCOURSES IN THE NEG’EB… the Negeb is in the southern desert - or it actually is the southern desert – so, the petition there is for God's extravagant generosity: restore our fortunes like water in the desert. Be generous to us, Lord. Given what we've heard so far from Luke and Baruch, it's easy to understand why this Psalm was chosen, especially when the Psalmist talks about returning home with shouts of joy. Remember, there at the end… he goes forth weeping, but comes home with shouts of joy.
[00:29:08] That leads us to our Second Reading, which is from Saint Paul's Letter to the Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11.
“[Brothers and Sisters:] [I pray with joy] always in every prayer of mine for all of you, thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
[00:30:10] This letter to the Philippians is one of the Captivity Letters, so called because they were written when Paul was imprisoned, likely in Rome, where he was under house arrest from 59 - 63 AD.
[00:30:27] Now Paul visited Philippi during his Second Missionary Journey (same journey in which he visited Thessalonica, which I talked about last week) and which is recorded - this time in Philippi - was recorded in Acts 16.
[00:30:44] Paul's close relationship with the Philippians is quite clear in this passage. He holds great affection for the church he established there, and it is the one church he consistently supported throughout all of his apostolic work. Among the founding members of the church in Philippi were several prominent and affluent women, notably Lydia - a dealer in purple dye and cloth. Purple dye was rare and expensive, meaning that anyone able to afford the cost of purple cloth would be quite well off. Typically, that was limited to those of royal descent or very, very high social status, and that would also make the merchant that dealt in such goods quite prosperous themselves. Having a wealthy patron like Lydia was a great boon to Paul on any number of occasions, which is quite evident if you spend any time reading about Paul's journeys. Let's begin back at the beginning.
[00:31:57] [Brothers and Sisters:] [I pray with joy] always in every prayer of mine for all of you, thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
[00:32:10] JOY ALWAYS, THANKFULNESS… these words certainly illustrate - for us - Paul's very, very evident affection for the Philippian community.
[00:32:23] Then he mentions PARTNERSHIP, which we should also understand to be more like participation or a spiritual and material sharing in the work of spreading the gospel, which, if you'll remember back from last week when I talked about his visit to Thessalonica, means not the Gospel we would understand… not the books written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. No, no, no, those weren't written yet. They didn't even exist. What he's talking about when he uses the word gospel (the word gospel very literally means good news), so, he's talking about the good news of Jesus, the good news of the salvation extended to all mankind through the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus.
[00:33:13] “And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Those words HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK IN YOU refer to the gift of faith given to the people of Philippi by God. God is the HE… and what he gave was the gift of faith. That is always the case, Right? God always gives us the gift of faith.
[00:33:40] The people of Philippi's acceptance of that faith is demonstrated by their actions in support of God and the church Paul established. Does Paul also mean here his own preaching? Undoubtedly, but at the same time, he also means the grace of Jesus bestowed upon the Philippians through Baptism. And then Paul writes THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST. And he means the Second Coming, the Final Judgment, which, again, if you remember back to last week - what I said - Paul anticipated that event to come during his lifetime… it was right around the corner… it was coming.
We're still waiting!
[00:34:28] “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
Paul's love, his care, his concern for the people of Philippi is quite evident here.
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
The laundry list of virtues Paul rattled off there is typical of his style of writing, right? Think of the fruits of the Holy Spirit that he listed in Galatians, or the gifts of the Holy Spirit he listed in 1 Corinthians. So, that type of laundry list is nothing new for Paul. What is different here is that these are virtues Paul is already ascribing to the Philippians! He says they already possess love, knowledge, discernment, excellence, purity, blamelessness… these aren't qualities he is recommending to them or things he's suggesting that they should develop. He's listing off qualities he believes they already have. Which in my mind, further demonstrates Paul's deep affection for the Philippian community. And then what is his prayer for the Church in Philippi? That all of these excellent virtues will continue to abound more and more! Now that shows us that Paul has great confidence - despite his imprisonment - knowing that the good news of Jesus Christ will continue to spread through the efforts of the Philippians. Think here of a dad who's really, really proud of one of his kids.
[00:36:32] All these virtues really are attainable for us too, right? We have to believe that! These are qualities we should either be trying to attain for ourselves - or strengthen them if we already have them. Love, knowledge, discernment, excellence, purity, blamelessness. All good qualities. All things we should have in abundance. We don't always. I know I don't. We don't always, but we need to try.
[00:37:06] Really isn't that what Advent is all about? Repentance, change, growth in virtues, growth in holiness… as we prepare for the coming of Jesus? The stillness of this season invites us to introspection, reflection, conversion, transformation.
[00:37:39] We are called to set aside our divisions, our disagreements, our hurts, and our disputes so that we can become more like Jesus, allow His grace to transform us, to become alter Christus - other Christs - precious and beloved children of our Father in heaven. Think of it as a more efficacious holiday makeover, one that has no monetary cost, yet offers an eternal reward!
[00:38:19] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for listening and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis of this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God bless.
