Sunday Reflections
2nd Sunday Advent B
Prepare to meet the Lor
1. ✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to
Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:
Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way.
A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.
And so it was that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judaea and all the people of Jerusalem made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. John wore a garment of camel-skin, and he lived on locusts and wild honey. In the course of his preaching he said, ‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’
2. Advent is a time of hope. It is in this context that we can understand the readings of this sunday. The first reading taking from Isaiah,(Is40:1-11), is the beginning of Second Isaiah which was written as book of consolation to the exiles. It was written in 550 BC, 12 years before the liberation from Babylonian exile in 538 BC. The people has spent 58 years in exile and were losing hope of returning to their homeland. The Prophets affirms that their liberation is close, that God has ordered the preparations for their return to begin. Hills and mountains would be levelled and valleys filled. Roads will be made in the desert. This prophecy offers a great hope.
3. Mark, in today’s gospels, linked the mission of John the Baptist to the prophecy of Isaiah. He sees John as the one sent to prepare the way for the Lord. John himself openly identified himself as the voice in the wilderness, calling people to prepare for the coming of the Lord. When the people learnt of John and his mission, all the people of Judah and Jerusalem went to him. They received baptism and then confessed their sins. Luke’s account of the same episode said that the people asked John what they must do to show their repentance.
4. When the people asked John in Luke 3:10-13 what they must do to be ready for the Messiah, he advised them to repent from their sins and share what they have with those who are in lack. “He who has two shirts should give one to he who has none and he who has food should do the same.” To soldiers he said:” Do not take people’s things by force. Be content with your salary.” To tax collectors he replied: “Do not charge more than the fixed amount.” Advent is therefore a time of repentance and sharing. If you have anything that you have not used for a long time, this is the time to give it out no matter how big or little it may appear. It could be as little as shoe or as big as a house. This is the time to part with it.
5. The contemporaries of John the Baptist did not only hear his word and received baptism, they also confessed their sins and embraced conversion. Advent is a time of conversion and confession. It is not a time for defending or justifying our sins. It is rather a time of confessing them. Make a commitment not to end the season without receiving the sacramental absolution of your sins. Biblical figures like Zacchaeus should remain our model of conversion and confession during this period. Zacchaeus did not justify himself before Jesus. He simply accepted to change his wrong ways and make restitution (Lk 19:8).
6. You certainly want to have a fruitful advent and joyful Christmas. Do not wait for Christmas to come, prepare to celebrate it. Like the contemporaries of John the Baptist, take concrete steps for conversion by confessing your sins and abandoning them. Make your repentance viable by acts of charity to those in need, especially those who like Lazarus look up to you for pieces of bread that could drop from your table.
