Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year A: 2025 (Fr. Luan)

There is a parable of sugar canes: a man who owned a big parcel of land. He did not know how to take care of his land, so the weeds grew up everywhere when the rain came down. He could not harvest anything good because of the weeds. He hired workers to root out the weeds, but the weeds came back again and again. He was frustrated. A friend suggested growing sugar cane on his land. The man listened and planted sugar cane in his field. Amazingly, when sugar canes grew into strong bushes, they choked the weeds, so the weed died, and the rich man did not have problems with the weeds anymore.

What is the point of the parable? The land represents our soul, the weeds are our bad habits or sins, and sugar cane are good things we do for others. So, the story reminds us that we can only eliminate bad vices and bad habits by good habits and virtues. The more good works we accomplish, the fewer bad things we will do.

John the Baptist delivered a strong message today: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” To the Pharisees and Sadducees, he said: “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.” Many people in our time may say John’s message was judgmental and rude. But I say John just said what people in his time and in our time need to hear. He called people to change their life before it was too late; Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees…His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

Repentance goes with true humility. In other words, people will not repent if they still have pride in their heart. That was why John refused to baptize Pharisees and Sadducees because their intention was not sincere. In humility, we identify what kind of hills, valleys, and crooked ways in our heart need to be corrected; they may be laziness, drunkenness, anger, jealousy, lust, greed, and untruthfulness. We can break our circle of sins through humbly confessing our sins and we ask the Holy Spirit to help us to change.

Question: Why did John call people to repent and get baptized by him? It is because Christ is coming. Who is Christ? He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world as John said. He also said: The One who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. So, what John wanted to say is: people must repent before the coming of Christ. Jesus Christ came; he will bring with Him grace and light. If he comes and we still want to live in sin, in darkness, his grace and his light cannot have spiritual effects on us. So, St. John the Baptist gave us the most important spiritual lesson which is: people must get their soul clean from sins before they welcome Christ into their soul.

The same question is: why does the Church teach us to go to confessions before we celebrate big feasts like Christmas, Easter, holiday of obligation and any big celebration of our life? It is because God will pour out his special grace into our souls, and we must be ready spiritually for his blessing with clean souls.

Dear friends in Christ, some people accepted John's teaching; some did not. So, what will we do during this Advent? Do we still want to live in the darkness of sins? Or will we be humble to acknowledge our sins? Only Satan and his disciples will never be humble to ask for God’s forgiveness. But we, Jesus’ disciples, always be able to repent. Advent season reminds us of the message of hope of prophet Isaiah that God is powerful than our sins; and it also reminds us of the message of repentance of John the Baptist. On Tuesday night, at 7 pm, we will have penance service here. Please come to confess your sins and get clean. In this season, when we see the advent candle lit in our church or in our home, we should let the light of Christ dispel our own darkness of doubt and arrogance.

May the Holy Spirit guide us back to the love of God.