Advent calls us to active preparation, and on this Second Sunday we look to St. John the Baptist, whose cry—“Prepare the way of the Lord!”—echoes powerfully in our own time of exile. Like the prophets and the Holy Family before us, the Church in exile learns to flourish in the wilderness, where God purifies, strengthens, and readies His people for renewal. John’s call to repentance is not merely about sorrow for sin but about reorienting our entire lives toward Christ, producing “fruit worthy of repentance” through fidelity, courage, and charity. Every small act of holiness becomes a stone in the rebuilding of the Church.
Advent’s growing light teaches us that God works quietly yet powerfully, often hidden from the world’s notice. The threefold coming of Christ—in history, in mystery, and in majesty—reminds us that even in exile the Lord is near, visiting us with grace and preparing His Church for future restoration. With Mary as our model of faithful waiting, we enter deeper into this season of hope, clearing the obstacles in our hearts so Christ may come more fully into our lives. Advent is our mission: to watch, repent, hope, and prepare for the Lord who is already on His way.
Archbishop Frederick Clary
