Sunday, December 9, 2012

Second Sunday of Advent: John the Baptist, Juan Diego and My Family

Our 16 year old son readily agreed to help me prepare our meal for the second Sunday of Advent.  Right now, a "Majestic and Moist Honey Cake" is baking in the oven and soon I will call him downstairs to work on the lime-cilantro pork tacos. The boys actually are beginning to look forward to our Sunday dinners, which I began planning in earnest starting with the Feast of Christ the King.

I was worried our family was too old to try to catch the liturgical rhythm of Advent, that too many years of too many Sundays had passed without a sense of stopping and relaxing instead of shopping and catching up on homework. But I was wrong; we all are enjoying spending our Sundays after Mass napping, watching football, cooking and then having a family meal together. So...what's with the honey cake this Sunday?


Well, this Sunday the reading is about John the Baptist, Christ's cousin, who had what one of our pastors calls the "Mission Impossible" of preparing the world for Christ. In fact, Scripture tells us he leapt for joy in his mother's womb at word of the coming of Christ. He famously feasted on locust and wild honey and while I was not going to serve my family locusts, the idea of serving them something featuring honey appealed to me. 

The Holy Father explains the significance of John the Baptist's life. “Through the Gospel John the Baptist continues to speak down the centuries to each generation. His hard clear words bring health to us, the men and women of this day in which even the experience and perception of Christmas often, unfortunately, reflects materialist attitudes. The 'voice' of the great prophet asks us to prepare the way for the coming Lord in the deserts of today, internal and external deserts, thirsting for the water of life which is Christ.” — Benedict XVI


As for tonight's tacos, the boys requested them. None of us realized last week that today also marks the feast day of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
canonized by Blessed John Paul II in 2002. He is the man who, in the 16th century saw the Marian vision we now call Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

I do not believe in coincidences. I am considering the possibility that Someone is helping us plan our Sunday dinner menus.

2 comments:

  1. Wonderful post and wonderful what you are doing with your family.

    ReplyDelete