Second Sunday of Advent (C)

Prepare the way of the Lord.

Lk 3:1-6

Prepare the way of the Lord. Level the valleys and hills so that the land be-comes a plain. Remove the twists and turns (zigzag) so that all roads are straight.
What do these mean? Ituwid ang pamumuhay. Isaayos ang buhay. Iwasto ang maling ugali. We are being asked to set our lives aright. In other words, we are being invited to a conversion.

CHOICE

How do we do this? Sin is basically making wrong choices. We have before us two choices: good and bad. We sin when we choose what is bad. Conversion then means making the right choices, making the correct decisions.

Let us illustrate this. I want Bunso to be removed from the Philippine Idol. I am a writer for the entertainment section of a newspaper. I write a column accusing the family and relatives of Bunso of buying votes so that Bunso will remain a contender. I sinned by writing a lie about another Bunso. My sin is the result of making a wrong choice. I had two choices. To write a lie and to not write a lie. I chose to write a lie. I made the wrong choice. I committed sin.

My conversion then will mean making the right choice from now onwards. As a writer for the entertainment industry, I will now choose the truth instead of choosing a lie.

VALUE SYSTEM

In order to consistently make the right choice, however, we must examine our value system and make the necessary changes. Our value system refers to the sum total of what we believe to be important.

The following are examples of elements that might be found in our value sys-tem: Right is might. It is better to cheat than to repeat. Wealth is more important than honor. Parents should bequeath to their children a good name and a good education. We must earn our keep by the sweat of our brow. You have no right to smoke until you earn the money for it. Ang pagkain ay biyaya mula sa Diyos. You must be willing to sacrifice yourself for your family. My spouse is an equal partner.

If you believe that wealth is more important than honor, would you be surprised at the wrong choices you will make in life?

Now you will understand why conversion must include changes in our value system.

A caution. We must be aware that the values that we SAY we hold might in fact be different from the values that we ACTUALLY LIVE BY. Therefore, when we examine our values, we must not base ourselves on what we say we value but on our behavior. Action speaks louder than words.

To illustrate again. I might say that I value God in my life. But let us examine our behavior. How often do I pray? The answer to that question is a more reliable indicator of whether I value God or not.

SOCIAL CONTEXT

The CBCP has proclaimed 2006 as the “Year of Social Concerns”. The CBCP is asking Filipino Catholics to a conversion in one element of our value system. For us Filipinos, charity begins at home and ends at home. The CBCP is asking us to transform this element into “charity begins at home and flows into the community”. In other words, we are asked not only to work for the good of our families but also for the good of the community at large, that is, for the common good.

Poverty is a real problem in our country. We can not pretend to be able to eradicate poverty in the Philippines. But we can do something about it.

1. If you are in business, work to expand that business. By expanding that business you will be able to provide employment. Employment will lift some families out of poverty. If you are not in business but have the talent for business, take the steps to open a business. Again you will provide employment.

2. If you work for a corporation, CSR is now a buzz word. CSR is corporate social responsibility. Volunteer to give your time to the CSR program of your company.

3. If you are a government official, you know that a big chunk of government money do not go to social services but to corruption. Imagine how the economy will grow if all the money go for what they were intended.

Social situations will not change by themselves. They will only change if we do something about them.

Once upon a time a man kept on complaining to God about the evil in the world. He said: “If you are God you must know about the bad things happening all over the world. Why aren’t you doing anything about it?” Finally God answered him, “But I’ve done something about the evil in the world.” The man retorted, “And what would that be?” And God, looking at him intently, replied: “I have created you.”

The problem is we expect everybody else, including God, to do something about the world, and yet we ourselves do nothing about it.