Two-Minute Homily by Fr Morgan Batt for the Third Sunday of Advent 2023.
“All around Australia, the gum trees are losing their bark, why? So that they can begin new growth. Which is a beautiful symbol for the Third Sunday of Advent.”
- Two-Minute Homily Transcript
Two-Minute Homily Transcript
Author: Archdiocese of Brisbane
Welcome to the Third Sunday of Advent. I’m wearing rose, which is our Gaudete Sunday, which is our hope for rejoicing Sunday. That little bit of colour in the midst of our purple season of Advent. If you were to go outside right now you would see that the world is hot, it’s December, we’re getting and gearing up for that Advent, Christmas time. And sometimes Australians believe that we should have snow and have all the northern hemisphere. But if you go outside you’ll see an extraordinary phenomenon. The phenomenon is ‘decorticating’. It’s where the gum trees are losing their bark all around Australia, the gums are losing their bark, why? So that they can begin new growth. Which is a beautiful symbol for the Third Sunday of Advent.When the prophet Isaiah is writing 200 years of hope filled prayer of the future of what will come. About 740 BC and then the Magnificat for our Psalm where Mary proclaims, you know, my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, she hopes in a future when these princes are pulled down and the lowly are raised. And then we come to our magnificent Gospel where John the Baptist says, he’s not the one, he’s not worthy to untie the bridegroom, if you understand Ruth’s scriptures, understand that the sandal is a symbol of taking on a people. And so when he says, I’m not worthy to undo the sandal, he’s not worthy to be the bridegroom because Christ is the bridegroom who will set his people Israel free.
Decorticating, hot summers, what better time for Advent. May God bless you on your journey. Amen.