SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT: WE’RE MADE FOR MORE

The Advent Voice That Calls Us Higher

Advent reminds us that we are made for more: more than comfort, more than mediocrity, more than the temptations that diminish our dignity, more than any struggle with addiction, in fact, more than the things that bring sadness in our lives. It reminds us of the meaning and purpose of our existence. Catholic speaker and former model Leah Darrow once told a gathering at Steubenville: “Some choices offered to us don’t always lead to the path of righteousness. They are beneath our dignity and calling as Christians. But you have to be brave enough to recognise that—and then accept what’s more.”

Virtue and the Recovery of Human Dignity

In The Art of Living, Edward Sri describes prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance, contrasting them with the vice of intemperance. Sri notes: “A lack of temperance prevents a man from loving his God, his spouse, his children, and his friends as well as he could.” John the Baptist echoes this cry in today’s gospel: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths.” This is an invitation to embrace a virtuous life through perseverance in good work.

The Loss and Restoration of Sanctity

In Genesis, God places Adam and Eve in the garden “to work it and take care of it.” Their dignity came from God’s breath. Their joy emanated from a sublime connection with God’s grace and peace. Through disobedience, they lost sanctity. They lost the peace of the Garden and the sacredness of life with God. Scripture used this pattern to reveal brokenness across history: Israel’s infidelity, corrupt shepherds, the prodigal son, Ananias and Sapphira, Judas’ betrayal. In Adam/Eve, humanity becomes entrapped in infidelity and keeps forgetting: we are made for more.

God’s Promise Through the Shoot from Jesse

Isaiah promises restoration through the shoot from the stump of Jesse. This King will establish justice, restore peace, and rebuild harmony. Humanity is made ultimately for the glory of God. Advent prepares us to reclaim what was lost in Eden.

The Voice of Repentance—John the Baptist

John the Baptist generates a strong call to action for believers: “Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance.” Jesus had warned earlier, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). Repentance restores dignity. Hence, John challenges every person to live according to God’s call. Advent invites us to wake up, reform, and bear fruit.

A Universal Call to Produce Good Fruit

John’s voice applies to all vocations:

·       I am Mr President—produce good fruit.

·       I am a lawmaker—produce good fruit.

·       I am a priest—produce good fruit.

·       I am a doctor, nurse, teacher, caregiver—produce good fruit.

·       I am a spouse—produce good fruit.

·       I am a first responder, lawyer, librarian, IRS worker, electrician—produce good fruit.

·       I am a religious sister—produce good fruit.

St. Augustine — A Witness That We Are Made for More

The life of St. Augustine offers a powerful witness to this Advent message. As a young man, Augustine pursued worldly pleasures, intellectual pride, and moral disorder. He admitted in his Confessions that he became “a slave to his own desires,” unable to govern his passions—exactly the condition Edward Sri describes when temperance is lost. Yet God continued calling him to “something more.” Through the prayers of St. Monica, the preaching of St. Ambrose, and the quiet restlessness of his own heart, Augustine finally recognised the deeper dignity God had placed within him. His conversion shows that repentance is not merely turning from sin but turning toward the greatness for which we were created. Augustine discovered that true freedom and true dignity come from putting on Christ. His famous words echo the Advent longing in every human heart: “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

Like Augustine, every believer, no matter their past, can rise to the fullness of God’s plan and produce good fruit.

The Dignity God Wants to Restore

The Catholic teaching is that faith becomes alive through good works. Advent invites us to renew our dignity, prepare our hearts, and bear fruits that glorify God. Through prayer and the sacraments, we rediscover that we are made for more. Advent reinforces this intention and announces that we are created for greatness—made for God, made for justice, made for holiness. Let us use these weeks to renew our dignity and prepare our hearts. God’s will is that His children produce good fruit and be saved.

Readings: Isaiah 11:1–10; Romans 15:4–9; Matthew 3:1–12

Reflection Questions

1. Which areas of my life reflect God-given dignity, and which need renewal this Advent?

2. What “good fruits” is God inviting me to produce in my vocation or relationships?

3. How can I strengthen the virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance to respond to God’s call that I am made for more?