Homily – “Prepare the Way — God Is Doing Something New Among Us”

Today John the Baptist stands before us in the Gospel with a voice like thunder:
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.”
Advent is a season that shakes us awake.
It is not gentle background music while we shop and decorate;
it is God’s call to clear space for His Son.

And so it is no small joy — truly no small joy —
that in this Mass we celebrate four baptisms.
Because John the Baptist does not simply shout a message at us today;
he shows us what God is doing right here, in this church, in these families.
He says: “The Lord is coming — get ready.”
And these baptisms are signs that the Lord is coming,
entering new lives, planting new beginnings,
building His Kingdom one child at a time.

The readings today are filled with beginnings.
Isaiah proclaims a new shoot growing from a stump —
life springing up where everyone thought life had ended.
That’s what God does: He makes all things new.
He takes what looks barren and brings forth fruit.

These four children being baptised today are not just arriving into a family;
they are arriving into God’s new creation.
In baptism, God says to each of them:
“You are My child. My Spirit rests upon you.
You belong to Me, and My life will grow within you.”

Just as Isaiah saw a future full of peace —
wolves with lambs, children safe, the earth filled with the knowledge of the Lord — baptism is the seed of that future.
Each child becomes a sign of hope to the whole Church:
a reminder that God has not finished with the world
and He has certainly not finished with us.

John cries out: “Prepare a way for the Lord.”
But how do you prepare?
By clearing the clutter of the heart: the habits that trip us,
the anger that hardens us, the selfishness that blinds us,
the sins that choke our joy.

And baptism shows us the very beginning of that path.
When these little ones are baptised, the waters wash away every barrier.
There is no sin left, no darkness, no stain.
Their path is wide and open for the Lord.
The grace they receive today is not symbolic —
it is real, powerful, and supernatural.
It is the very life of God in the soul.

But baptism also calls something out of us.
Whenever we witness a baptism, the Church asks a question:
“And you — how is your path?
Is there space for Jesus to come close?”

These children begin the journey today,
but many of us have been baptised for 10, 20, 40, 60 years.
Advent is our call to return to the clarity
and the simplicity of that beginning.

Today’s baptisms invite us to start again.

To the parents and godparents:
today you are doing a holy thing.
You are not only holding your children in your arms;
you are holding them before the throne of God.
You are saying, “Lord, take this child.
Wash them, protect them, claim them, guide them.”

Your home becomes the first church your children will know.
Your words become their first catechism.
Your prayer becomes their first school of faith.
Your forgiveness becomes their first taste of mercy.

And Advent is the perfect season to begin this mission.
Set aside a moment of family prayer each day — even 20 seconds.
Bless your children before bed.
Let them see you pray.
Let them hear the name of Jesus spoken with love.

In doing that, you are preparing the way of the Lord
not just in your own life, but in theirs.

John the Baptist never speaks in vague ideas.
He is practical, direct, demanding.
He says: “If Christ is coming, then your life must change.”

Advent asks us:
Is my heart straight or crooked?
Is my speech gentle or sharp?
Is my time given to God or swallowed by distraction?
Is there forgiveness I’m holding back?
Is there a habit I need to leave behind?

These baptisms challenge us gently but firmly:
“Make space for Jesus again.”
Because the Christian life doesn’t begin with baptism and then drift —
it begins with baptism and continues every time we decide
to let Jesus be Lord of one more corner of our lives.

Isaiah describes the Spirit resting on the Messiah:
“the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and strength,
the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.”

In baptism, that same Spirit rests on these four children.
They will grow, learn, scrape knees, make mistakes — like all of us.
But the Holy Spirit will not leave them.
He will whisper to their hearts.
He will nudge them towards goodness.
He will protect them from evil.
He will be their Advocate for life.

And He will do the same for us, if we let Him.

Today is a day of hope.
A day of beginnings.
A day when Isaiah’s prophecy and John’s call become visible in our parish.

Let these baptisms be our Advent wake-up call.
God is moving. Grace is growing. Christ is near.

So let us prepare the way —
in our hearts, in our homes, in our habits —
so that when the Lord comes,
He finds us ready, joyful, and full of welcome.