In addition to reminding us of the promise of the coming of the Messiah, this Second Sunday of Advent invites us to follow the path that leads us to him. It encourages us to be faithful and to maintain hope by showing the fruits of our sincere conversion.
In the Gospel for this Sunday, John the Baptist asks us to renounce the path of evil, to straighten our paths out so that they lead us to the encounter with Jesus.
In the various places of the world where the Congregation of Holy Cross is present, we find people who show through their actions the love of God. We also see situations of injustice, violence, and abuse that especially affect the most vulnerable and unprotected.
Reality permanently challenges us to remain in love, because it is easy to lose our way, to react negatively, and even to run the risk of thinking that some unjust situations will never change and that hope does not exist. Let us remember that in our Holy Cross mission, we choose to accompany the most vulnerable, those who have difficult lives, those who have crosses that are difficult to carry. It is in them that the cross becomes hope; it is in these negative situations that the ministries of the Holy Cross illuminate the shadows and transmit hope.
It is also necessary that we reflect on whether our journey is in the style of Jesus, if we are determined to follow in his footsteps, or if we allow ourselves to be lost among so many other footprints leading to a lack of love and despair.
Let us not neglect our personal prayer and spiritual lives. Let us pray to Jesus the Messiah, who is always faithful to the promise of God. Let us pray not to deviate from the path that leads us to truth and eternal life.
May the promise of the coming of the Messiah movitate us to walk the path that leads us to Jesus, to be faithful, and to show the fruits of our sincere conversion. May the spirit of his love encourage us to persevere and keep hope alive.
This week’s reflection was written by Mr. José Antonio Patrón Quispe, who has been the Executive Director of Yancana Huasy in San Juan de Lurigrancho, Peru, since 2004. Yancana Huasy helps to integrate poor families with members with mental and physical disabilities into the wider community. José Antonio’s history of ministering with Holy Cross goes back further to 1985, when he began serving as a pastoral minister, assuming various responsibilities over the years, at El Señor de la Esperanza Parish, which was founded and continues to be administered by the Congregation. He has also served on the Pastoral Council of the Diocese of Chosica. José Antonio has been married for 41 years and has four children.