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Possible Preaching Themes

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Possible Scientific Resources

Paul prays for the community in Philippi, that they may grow in love and live authentically in response to the gospel. The community is reminded that God “began a good work” within them, and when that work is brought to completion God is glorified and praised. Like the Philippians, we are called to live our faith in a way that prepares us for the coming of the Lord.
John preaches a message of repentance and calls people to experience the forgiveness of their sins. John understood his mission was to prepare the way and help people receive Jesus in their lives.
As disciples, we share in a ministry that is meant to lead people to Jesus.
God has the power to transform and make new. Throughout the season of Advent, the scriptures are infused with imagery from nature that demonstrates God’s transformative power. God can lower the mountains and straighten crooked paths. God can transform each of us—God is the source of healing, renewal, and restoration in every facet of our lives.

Life in the desert.
- https://www.environmentalscience.org/deserts-ecosystems
- While there are different types of deserts, a general understanding is that they are “topographic landscapes that receive little precipitation in a typical year”
- Deserts are important to the planetary ecosystem because of their unique ecology and biodiversity
- Deserts are “are amongst the most fragile and endangered biomes”
- More recently, deserts have become the sites for renewable energy sources

The stress of waiting.
- https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/waiting-stress
- “What we think and we have some data now to support this is that waiting combines two challenging states of mind: Not knowing what’s coming, uncertainty, and not being able to do much or anything about it. So a lack of control.”
- The slow passing of time while we wait for something in the future can lead us to worry
- Waiting can be lonely—social connection during this time can be helpful

Leading through crisis.
- https://hbr.org/2020/04/the-psychology-behind-effective-crisis-leadership
- Effective leadership is about more than having a vision, it’s about leading through crises: “Crises always test visions, and most don’t survive”
- Drawing from the concept of “holding” in psychology, Petriglieri asserts that holding is “the way another person, often an authority figure, contains and interprets what’s happening in times of uncertainty”
- This article looks at Petriglieri’s concept of “institutional holding” as a way to strengthen the culture of an organization; thereby, confronting crises

Homily outline combining resources: Waiting in the Desert.

The vastness of the desert.

- Have you ever had the chance to visit the Grand Canyon?
- Or maybe you’ve enjoyed the desert landscape while in Las Vegas?
- Did you ever create a desert diorama in science class?
- For many who did not grow up in a desert environment, there is something mysteriously beautiful
  - Openness of the land
  - Wideness of the sky
  - Uniqueness of the ecological systems
- Passing through the desert can leave you feeling small in the midst of something so vast
- In Scripture, the desert is a place where encounters with God occurred ( 8:2-5)
- The desert might be a scary and lonely place, especially when it is unknown territory

And so we wait.

- All of us have had the experience of having to wait
- Some can wait with patience; for others, waiting is a source of stress
  - Long lines at amusement parks for your favorite ride
  - The hours spent in traffic
  - Soon-to-be parents waiting for a child’s birth or an adoption to be legalized
  - Time spent hoping the tests results or diagnosis will be in your favor
- Waiting can be a scary and lonely experience in one’s life, especially when it causes us to confront something about our futures
- Waiting can force us to confront our uncertainty and lack of control about our futures
- Waiting can cause us to worry, to doubt, to question, and even to hope
- So, what are we supposed to be doing as we wait?

Advent: a desert season.

- Advent, as a liturgical season, invites us into the “desert of our lives”
- A place in which we seek retreat from ordinary life so we can experience God’s promise to be present among us
- In Advent, we wait:
  - For the second coming of Christ
  - For our Christmas celebrations
- As Christians we always live as an advent people: a people who wait in great anticipation for the second coming of Jesus
- As we wait, we are invited to use the time we have to really prepare for what is to come

We proclaim Christ while we wait.

- Like John the Baptist, our mission is to proclaim the Good News of Christ
- We first enter into this desert season for ourselves: to repent and experience God’s mercy (Luke 3:3)
- We stand in the vastness of this season so that we can experience the wideness of God’s mercy
- We wait, not alone but together—as community
- We wait, not alone but with Emmanuel—“God with us”
- Future experiences may be unknown, but in Advent we hold on to hope that Christ is coming
- Each of us can share the Good News that Jesus will soon arrive; not just in some desert, but in every moment that causes us to worry
- The desert can become a place of new life
- Advent can be a season in which we celebrate the great things God is doing (Psalm 126:3)

Tags: Advent, Desert, Preparing, Stress

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Preaching with Sciences

Edward Foley, Capuchin
Duns Scotus Professor Emeritus of Spirituality
Professor of Liturgy and Music (retired)
Catholic Theological Union
Vice-Postulator, Cause of Blessed Solanus

Preaching with Sciences

Second Sunday of Advent, Year C

BY Matthew S. O’Donnell, December 8, 2024

Homily outline combining resources: Waiting in the Desert.

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