Podbean logo
  • Discover
  • Podcast Features
    • Podcast Hosting

      Start your podcast with all the features you need.

    • Podbean AI Podbean AI

      AI-Enhanced Audio Quality and Content Generation.

    • Blog to Podcast

      Repurpose your blog into an engaging podcast.

    • Video to Podcast

      Convert YouTube playlists to podcasts, videos to audios.

  • Monetization
    • Ads Marketplace

      Join Ads Marketplace to earn through podcast sponsorships.

    • PodAds

      Manage your ads with dynamic ad insertion capability.

    • Apple Podcasts Subscriptions Integration

      Monetize with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions via Podbean.

    • Live Streaming

      Earn rewards and recurring income from Fan Club membership.

  • Podbean App
    • Podcast Studio

      Easy-to-use audio recorder app.

    • Podcast App

      The best podcast player & podcast app.

  • Help and Support
    • Help Center

      Get the answers and support you need.

    • Podbean Academy

      Resources and guides to launch, grow, and monetize podcast.

    • Podbean Blog

      Stay updated with the latest podcasting tips and trends.

    • What’s New

      Check out our newest and recently released features!

    • Podcasting Smarter

      Podcast interviews, best practices, and helpful tips.

  • Popular Topics
    • How to Start a Podcast

      The step-by-step guide to start your own podcast.

    • How to Start a Live Podcast

      Create the best live podcast and engage your audience.

    • How to Monetize a Podcast

      Tips on making the decision to monetize your podcast.

    • How to Promote Your Podcast

      The best ways to get more eyes and ears on your podcast.

    • Podcast Advertising 101

      Everything you need to know about podcast advertising.

    • Mobile Podcast Recording Guide

      The ultimate guide to recording a podcast on your phone.

    • How to Use Group Recording

      Steps to set up and use group recording in the Podbean app.

  • All Arts Business Comedy Education
  • Fiction Government Health & Fitness History Kids & Family
  • Leisure Music News Religion & Spirituality Science
  • Society & Culture Sports Technology True Crime TV & Film
  • Live
  • How to Start a Podcast
  • How to Start a Live Podcast
  • How to Monetize a podcast
  • How to Promote Your Podcast
  • How to Use Group Recording
  • Log in
  • Start your podcast for free
  • Podcasting
    • Podcast Features
      • Podcast Hosting

        Start your podcast with all the features you need.

      • Podbean AI Podbean AI

        AI-Enhanced Audio Quality and Content Generation.

      • Blog to Podcast

        Repurpose your blog into an engaging podcast.

      • Video to Podcast

        Convert YouTube playlists to podcasts, videos to audios.

    • Monetization
      • Ads Marketplace

        Join Ads Marketplace to earn through podcast sponsorships.

      • PodAds

        Manage your ads with dynamic ad insertion capability.

      • Apple Podcasts Subscriptions Integration

        Monetize with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions via Podbean.

      • Live Streaming

        Earn rewards and recurring income from Fan Club membership.

    • Podbean App
      • Podcast Studio

        Easy-to-use audio recorder app.

      • Podcast App

        The best podcast player & podcast app.

  • Advertisers
  • Enterprise
  • Pricing
  • Resources
    • Help and Support
      • Help Center

        Get the answers and support you need.

      • Podbean Academy

        Resources and guides to launch, grow, and monetize podcast.

      • Podbean Blog

        Stay updated with the latest podcasting tips and trends.

      • What’s New

        Check out our newest and recently released features!

      • Podcasting Smarter

        Podcast interviews, best practices, and helpful tips.

    • Popular Topics
      • How to Start a Podcast

        The step-by-step guide to start your own podcast.

      • How to Start a Live Podcast

        Create the best live podcast and engage your audience.

      • How to Monetize a Podcast

        Tips on making the decision to monetize your podcast.

      • How to Promote Your Podcast

        The best ways to get more eyes and ears on your podcast.

      • Podcast Advertising 101

        Everything you need to know about podcast advertising.

      • Mobile Podcast Recording Guide

        The ultimate guide to recording a podcast on your phone.

      • How to Use Group Recording

        Steps to set up and use group recording in the Podbean app.

  • Discover
  • Log in
    Sign up free
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Religion & Spirituality:Christianity

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

2023-12-10
Download

The novel Quo Vadis takes place in Rome a few years after the Resurrection of Jesus. During this time, Christianity was outlawed, and a brutal persecution was underway. However, despite the danger, Christianity continued to flourish, largely due to the inspiring teachings of the Apostle Peter.

At one point in the story, a young Roman named Vinicius fell in love with a beautiful Christian woman, but she wouldn’t have anything to do with him because his life was so different from hers.

Vinicius became intrigued by the young woman and her strong beliefs. This piqued his curiosity about how Christians worship. One night, he followed her to a secret gathering and hid in the shadows outside the meeting place. He listened intently to their service.

During their worship, Peter stood up to preach. As he spoke about Jesus, Vinicius began to take to heart what Peter was saying and contemplate what he would have to do in his life to become a Christian.

He concluded that he needed to take two significant steps. First, he would have to figuratively throw away his current life and burn it to ashes. Second, he would have to start a completely new life.

That image is an excellent example of what ancient Jews meant by conversion. Conversion in ancient Jewish culture meant returning from the wrong path and starting afresh on the right path. 

That is what John the Baptist tells people to do in today’s Gospel reading. He advises people to turn away from the path of sin, which ultimately leads to death, and instead, choose the path of righteousness, which leads to life.

John urges the people to signify their commitment to making a change in their lives by stepping down into the river and being baptized. However, he emphasizes that the act of washing their bodies, which symbolizes cleansing their souls, is only the first step towards transformation. It's merely a prelude to the second step, which involves not only letting go of their old way of life but also embracing a new way of life.

This explains what John meant when he said, “I have baptized you with water; he [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” John’s baptism is a one of repentance.

The second step is receiving the baptism of rebirth that Jesus will bring; it is receiving the Holy Spirit and beginning a new life.

During the Advent season, we are called to take these two important steps. Despite being baptized, we often fall back into sin due to our human nature. Therefore, Advent is the perfect time to reflect on our lives and recognize the areas where we need to make changes. We must take these areas and symbolically burn them to ashes, so we can start anew and revitalize our spiritual life.

I want to close with an old story that illustrates the kind of Advent conversion the Church invites us to make.

In early British history, punishments were harsh to deter crime. During that time, a man was caught stealing sheep. The authorities punished him by branding the letters "S.T." on his forehead, which stood for "Sheep Thief." Despite the humiliating episode, the man succeeded in living down his past and moved on with his life.

As the man grew old, the letters "S.T." remained visible on his forehead. When children asked their parents what the letters stood for, the parents recognized the good deeds the man had done over the years and replied, "They stand for the word 'saint.'"

God says to all of us today, in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Wash yourselves clean!… Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow.”

view more

More Episodes

Homily for Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent
2025-03-27 7
Homily for Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent
2025-03-26 7
Homily for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
2025-03-25 11
Homily for Monday of the 3rd Week of Lent
2025-03-24 9
Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent
2025-03-23 8
Homily for Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent
2025-03-22 5
Homily for Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent
2025-03-21 14
Homily for Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent
2025-03-20 12
Homily for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
2025-03-19 9
Homily for Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
2025-03-18 10
Homily for the Memorial of St. Patrick
2025-03-17 7
Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent
2025-03-16 12
Homily for Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent
2025-03-15 4
Homily for Friday of the 1st Week of Lent
2025-03-14 7
Homily for Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent
2025-03-13 11
Homily for Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent
2025-03-12 12
Homily for Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent
2025-03-11 17
Homily for Monday of the 1st Week of Lent
2025-03-10 4
Homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent
2025-03-09 9
Homily for Saturday After ash Wednesday
2025-03-08 10
  • ←
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • →
012345678910111213141516171819

Get this podcast on your
phone, FREE

Download Podbean app on App Store Download Podbean app on Google Play

Create your
podcast in
minutes

  • Full-featured podcast site
  • Unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • Comprehensive podcast stats
  • Distribute to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more
  • Make money with your podcast
Get started

It is Free

  • Podcast Services

    • Podcast Features
    • Pricing
    • Enterprise Solution
    • Private Podcast
    • The Podcast App
    • Live Stream
    • Audio Recorder
    • Remote Recording
    • Podbean AI
  •  
    • Create a Podcast
    • Video Podcast
    • Start Podcasting
    • Start Radio Talk Show
    • Education Podcast
    • Church Podcast
    • Nonprofit Podcast
    • Get Sermons Online
    • Free Audiobooks
  • MONETIZATION & MORE

    • Podcast Advertising
    • Dynamic Ads Insertion
    • Apple Podcasts Subscriptions
    • Switch to Podbean
    • YouTube to Podcast
    • Blog to Podcast
    • Submit Your Podcast
    • Podbean Plugins
    • Developers
  • KNOWLEDGE BASE

    • How to Start a Podcast
    • How to Start a Live Podcast
    • How to Monetize a Podcast
    • How to Promote Your Podcast
    • Mobile Podcast Recording Guide
    • How to Use Group Recording
    • Podcast Advertising 101
  • Support

    • Support Center
    • What’s New
    • Free Webinars
    • Podcast Events
    • Podbean Academy
    • Podbean Amplified Podcast
    • Badges
    • Resources
  • Podbean

    • About Us
    • Podbean Blog
    • Careers
    • Press and Media
    • Green Initiative
    • Affiliate Program
    • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Consent Preferences
  • Copyright © 2015-2025 Podbean.com