The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120925.cfm

As Advent unfolds, Fr. Mark reminds us that the season is not only about remembering Israel’s longing for the Messiah, nor only about anticipating Christ’s Second Coming—it's about recognizing how He comes to us right now. And for that, we need two essential forms of knowledge: knowledge of God and knowledge of ourselves.

The readings from Isaiah reveal how God purified Israel’s pride, allowing captivity to strip away their false securities so they could rediscover humility and dependence on Him. This same dynamic unfolds in our lives. The Lord allows us to confront our weakness, sin, and spiritual poverty—not to crush us, but to prepare us. As Isaiah foretells, God Himself comes with comfort, mercy, and rescue for His people.

In the Gospel, Jesus reveals the heart of the Good Shepherd who seeks not merely 99% of His flock but every last soul. Divine Mercy is a “heat-seeking” love that pursues the wounded, the wandering, and the ashamed. But we can only receive this love if we stand in the truth of humility: acknowledging our creatureliness, our giftedness, and our profound need for God.

Fr. Mark points to St. Juan Diego as a living model of this humility—simple, faithful, obedient—through whom God transformed an entire culture. When humility lowers our mountains of pride and fills our valleys of discouragement, the way is prepared for Christ to enter.

This is the heart of Advent: becoming ready for the Christ who came, who comes in every sacrament—especially the Eucharist—and who will come again in glory.