“Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God”
–Baruch 5:1

In these few words, the prophet Baruch has given us a wonderful plan for living Advent well. In fact, these words could guide the entirety of our lives as Christians if we allow them, and we would be better for them.

Jerusalem, Baruch begins. So often, we skip over the audience of a letter or writing in scripture. But these audiences are important. In saying “Jerusalem”, Baruch is addressing his prophesy to a particular people: the children of God. Jerusalem, for Baruch, is an exiled people that are held captive in Babylon. They are a people who long to be free. Baruch, reminds the people of their sinfulness and failure to follow God, but then tells them that deliverance from God is coming, and, in the passage we have read, he exhorts those people to courage. They are to take courage, for their God will deliver them from their oppressors in Babylon.

Baruch, in saying Jerusalem, is not speaking to the inhabitants of some particular city, but to the children of God who live in exile. We, as the baptized sons and daughters of God, have inherited the name “children of God.” We, the children of God and heirs of the new covenant with him, are the new Jerusalem. We, now, are the people to whom Baruch speaks, for Christ himself told us that not even the smallest part, “not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18, RSVSCE)

God, through his prophet Baruch, speaks to us, the new Jerusalem, saying, “take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splender of glory from God.”

St. Luke’s Gospel helps us to see what must be done to take off the robe of mourning and misery. St. John the Baptist says “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Echoing the prophet Isaiah, the Baptist tells us that the valleys shall be filled, the mountains and hills made low, and the winding roads made straight. Filling the empty valleys of our heart with the fruitfulness of the virtues, leveling the mountains and hills of arrogance and pride, and straightening the rough roads of injustice is a task that we cannot undertake on our own. If we were left to our own devices, we would not have much hope to accomplish this work.

God has not, however, left us to our devices. In sending his Son to save us, he has given us a path of freedom from these miserable robes of sin. When Christ conquered sin, he destroyed its power over us. Tears of mourning were transformed into tears of joy when he rose from the dead and proclaimed victory over sin and death. When we received the gift of Baptism, we joined him in that victory. In our Baptisms, we were given the power of the Holy Spirit to grow in virtue and holiness and to leave sin behind.

But we humans are fickle beings. Like the Jewish people, we often forget God and turn away from him in our daily lives. We are distracted by worldly pleasures, enticed by power or fame or fortune. Because of his great love for us, our Lord did not leave us on our own in the life-long struggle against sin. In the gift of the Sacrament of Confession, he gives us not only the forgiveness of sins, but he crushes whatever power Satan has over us and gives us the grace to leave behind the barren wastelands of sin, the robes of mourning and misery, and turn back to the glory of God.

God has given us a new garment in places of the robes of mourning and misery, and we are told to put it on! “Put on the splendor of glory from God,” Baruch tells us. St. Paul tells us of his great confidence that “the one who began a good work in [us] will continue to complete it.” (Philippians 1:6) This good work? It is none other than the participation in the life of God that was given to us at Baptism. How will it be fulfilled? When we are welcomed into the heavenly wedding banquet of God, clothed in the wedding garment of God’s glory that he has given to us.

The wondrous robe, full to the splendor of glory is not something we can earn or make for ourselves. No matter how hard we work, this is always a gift from God. Just as Baptism is a gift from God, and forgiveness is a gift from God, so to is the gift of eternal glory that God desires us to experience.

But how are we to put this garment on? Must we die first in order to put on the splendor of glory from God? Certainly not! God has provided all things for us, and his Kingdom is present here and now! He would not leave us flailing in the wind! We put on the splendor of God every time we receive the gift of the Eucharist. What greater wedding garment could God give us, what greater robe could he provide us, what more splendorous glory could he shine on us that himself? There is none.

The Mass, in a way, even follows the pattern of what Baruch has told us:

  • Jerusalem: we are called together in the assembly of the Church
  • take off your robe of mourning and misery: we leave aside our sins at the penitential rites
  • put on the splendor of glory from God: we prepare our hearts through the hearing of God’s word, and we put on the splendor of glory from God when we receive his Body and Blood

In this and every Mass, in this Advent and in every day of our lives, may we strive to hear the words of Baruch: “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God”

Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent
Scriptures: Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6