Gospel Reflection for December 4th.

The 2nd. Sunday of Advent – John, the Voice in the Desert

At the time of Jesus, people knew where to go to experience and hear the Word of God; the Temple in Jerusalem. This had been the place of Divine Revelation for centuries; from where else would God the Almighty speak? The Scribes and the Pharisees were the ones who knew the ancient scriptures. They knew when to read them and how to make sense of them for the people. Or did they?

John the Baptist came with a message and he came to announce this new and radical message from a new place. John spoke this new message from the wilderness of the desert. He did not go to the crowds in the temple; they went to the desert to hear him. As the gospel tells us, ‘all of Judaea and the whole of the Jordan district made their way to him.’ Perhaps the people were tired and even bored of what they were hearing in temple. Perhaps John arrived at the right time with this new message. Their ears and hearts were open and ready to receive this new message.

The challenging question for us today is are our ears and hearts open to hear what John the Baptist has to say us now in our time? What is this message that John brings and that people went so far into the desert to hear? It is a message of repentance. Just as John asked them to at their lives, he asks us to look honestly at our lives today. John asks us to change our lives and to prepare a way of the Lord.

Over these coming days and weeks of Advent, we will be busy in so many ways getting ready to celebrate the birth of Christ. There will be shopping for present and gifts, the buying of food, cleaning and decorating our homes, and the writing of Christmas cards. These are all a part of our preparation for the Christmas Season. But they are only one part getting ready for Christmas. The words and message of John the Baptist echo down through the centuries and they are as relevant and important to us today as they were when John first proclaimed his message in the desert. We too are being called to repent, change, prepare a way for the Lord and to make his paths straight.

By the end of the gospel, John tells us whom he is announcing and to whom he drawing attention; Jesus Christ. If we only focus on and pay attention to the externals of getting ready to celebrate Christmas, we will not only miss something, we will miss someone.

This week, let us take some prayerful time to ask ourselves how we can prepare a way to welcome and greet Jesus this Christmas in our homes, families and parish community.

• Michael Moore OMI