Second Sunday of Advent Cycle A
St Bernadette Church, Bayou Vista
Advent 2nd Sunday Sermon
Is 11:1-10; Rom 15:4-9; Mt 3:1-12
Advent: A Time to Stretch Our Hearts and Reach Out
A parishioner once noticed a young mother at the grocery store who always looked overwhelmed. One day she simply said, “If you ever need a place to breathe or pray, our church would love to have you. You can even sit with me.”
The young mother’s eyes filled with tears. “I’ve been wanting to come back to church for years,” she said. “I just didn’t know how to start.” She came the next Sunday, joined a small group, had her child baptized, and became part of our parish family. All because of one heartfelt invitation.
In the Gospel, John the Baptist reminds us that evangelization is not only welcoming those who arrive—it is also going out to meet others with courage, compassion, and joy.
Most traditional parishes do something very well: what we might call sponge evangelism. A sponge is soft, welcoming, and absorbent—it gently receives whatever comes to it, just as we warmly receive those who walk through our doors.
But there is another form of evangelization gaining attention today: octopus evangelism. An octopus is a sea creature with eight flexible arms that reach out in many directions. The image reminds us of evangelization that actively extends itself—inviting, seeking, and drawing others in. It goes in search of those who may not yet realize how deeply they need the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Many modern churches practice this well—especially mega-churches. Mega-churches, drawing 2,000 or more people each week, grow not because of buildings or technology, but because their members personally invite others. Nearly 80% of first-time visitors come because a friend or neighbor extended an invitation. A little-known fact: over 25% of mega-church members are former Catholics, many of whom were never personally invited into deeper parish life.
John the Baptist: The Original “Octopus Evangelist”
On this Second Sunday of Advent, the Church gives us, where John the Baptist emerges from the wilderness with a fiery message that reaches out and draws people in: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” John doesn’t wait passively for people to show up at a synagogue. He goes to the Jordan River, to the crossroads of daily life, and there he calls out with urgency and hope. People from Jerusalem, Judea, and the entire region flock to him because his words touch something deep within them.
John practices evangelization in motion:
- He calls people to conversion: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”
- He speaks truth with love: warning against complacency, urging sincerity rather than routine religious behavior.
- He points beyond himself: “One who is more powerful than I is coming after me… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
His message is not meant to intimidate but to awaken—to stir hearts, break through spiritual exhaustion, and reorient lives toward the coming Messiah. John’s preaching mirrors what our world hungers for today: a voice that is honest, compassionate, courageous, and full of hope.
Advent: A Time to Stretch Our Hearts and Reach Out
Advent is a season of movement—God coming toward us in Christ, and we turning toward him through conversion and love. John the Baptist reminds us that evangelization means not only welcoming those who arrive, but also seeking those who may be waiting for an invitation.
Like the parishioner in the grocery store, a simple, sincere invitation can change a life. Many people quietly long for God but feel unsure or unseen. Your gentle outreach might be the doorway their heart has been waiting for.
Questions for the week:
- Whom might I reach out to this week?
- Who in my life is waiting—perhaps quietly—for an invitation?
- How can I prepare a straight path for Christ in my own heart so that I may lead others to him?
May our parish become not only a warm sponge that receives but an octopus of compassion that reaches in every direction—offering welcome, hope, and the invitation to encounter Jesus more deeply.
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