Second Advent Sunday (Year C)

Today is the last day of the Religion and Science Seminar held bi-annually in the Holy Spirit Seminary. The Seminar finished at 5 p.m. and most of us stayed behind to join the Sunday Mass before we went home. Fr. Edward Chau celebrated the mass for us. He is the dean of Religious Sciences Faculty. In his introduction to the mass, he commented that luckily we were there. Jesus would not feel lonely.

The gospel reading was taken from Luke 3, which talks about the mission of John the Baptist. Since all of the participants are supposed to be mature Catholics, Fr. Chau did not waste time to do exegesis. He told us a parable instead.
A lily seed fell onto the soil in a valley. It grew up with other weeds. The other weeds teased and bullied the lily shoot because it was unlike the rest and was alone. The lily shoot remained silent. It knew its identity. It was not any grass but a flower. Even the butterflies and bees joined the company to tease it. The lily ignored them but concentrated in absorbing nutrients. At last, it bore fruit and more lily seeds were dispersed. At first, the lilies occupied only a small region in the valley. After 10 years, the whole valley was full of lilies. People came to admire.
Fr. Chau did not explain too much. He allowed us to interpret the story in whichever ways we found appropriate.

Fr. Chau seems to be less rational and more sentimental. He is not pushy at all. Very quickly, he was able to establish a bond linking all the participants and himself. His style is inviting. He said that all of us were called by God, just as John the Baptist was. The Baptist was a lonely voice in the wilderness to prepare the hearts of the people to receive the Messiah. He told the multitudes, the tax collectors and the soldiers to repent in ways appropriate to their positions (Luke 3:10-14). Likewise, Jesus had called us to follow Him and to spread His gospel around. We should know our identity, like the lily in his parable. At the moment, we were equipping ourselves for future challenges. When we got our degree, we should consider seriously how we could serve the Church, serve God's people.

Dear Lord, I will follow Your instruction, serve You for the rest of my life. Amen.

Appendix:
ὡς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ λόγων Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου·
φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ·
πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται, καὶ ἔσται τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθείαν καὶ αἱ τραχεῖαι εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας·
καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ. 
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, 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." (Luke 3:4-6)
φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν,
πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται, καὶ ἔσται πάντα τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθεῖαν καὶ ἡ τραχεῖα εἰς πεδία,
καὶ ὀφθήσεται ἡ δόξα κυρίου, καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι κύριος ἐλάλησεν.