Homilies

Today, we celebrate God’s infinite mercy. While we often think of this feast as a celebration of Mary, at its heart, it is a celebration of God’s boundless love and generosity toward humanity. The Immaculate Conception refers to the singular grace bestowed upon Mary: her being conceived without the stain of Original Sin. From the very first moment of her existence, Mary was free from the guilt and darkness that affect each of us.

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths,” is not a call to control or coercion but an invitation to transformation. We are called to prepare our hearts and lives for the Lord’s coming, not by forcing his ways on others but by imitating his love and mercy.

Advent is a season of waiting—not passive idleness, but active trust. It is a time to acknowledge the complexities of our lives and the brokenness of the world, yet place our hope in God’s providence. We prepare the way of the Lord not by reducing faith to simplistic answers but by embracing its mysteries with humility and confidence in God’s grace.

On this First Sunday of Advent, we hear Jesus’ apocalyptic words in the gospel: descriptions of cosmic signs, nations in dismay, and people overcome with fear. At first glance, these words might tempt us to despair, as they mirror the anxieties we often feel when we look at our world today. Natural disasters, political unrest, and personal struggles can leave us feeling as if everything is unraveling. But Jesus does not speak to sow fear; he speaks to give us hope.