The season of advent is a
time of waiting and time for preparing for the coming of the Lord. The readings
of today are about preparing the way and place for the coming of the Lord. In the
first reading we have the proclamation of freedom to Israel from Babylonian slavery.
The verses are a deep consolation to the hearers. It begins by saying; “Comfort,
O comfort my people, says your God…” (Is 40:1). This message gladdens the heart
of Israelites who are finishing their time of punishment. They are exuberant to
go back to the mountain of their Lord God; Jerusalem. The cry is made – which is
also an allusion to John the Baptist – to prepare the way of the Lord (Is
40:3). Actually, the way is needed for the Israelites – not for the Lord – to go
back to their country. In saying this the prophet acclaims that the Israelites are
not alone in going back. They will have a companion to guide them. The companion
is none other than God Himself. Just as Moses and Joshua led the Israelites
from Egypt to the Promised Land. Now the Lord God Himself will lead them back
to the Promised Land from Babylon.
In the Gospel, John the
Baptist is preparing the way for the coming of the Lord. He prepares the way by
doing two things: proclamation and administering baptism. He invites the people
to get ready to receive the Lord through repentance for their sins. The baptism
he administers has no sacramental value but only a sign of repentance and
forgiveness. Through this John the Baptist prepares the hearts of the people to
encounter God when He comes in the person of Jesus. Today, John the Baptist is
inviting us to do the same thing to prepare for Christmas. The best way to
prepare for Christmas is by going to Confession. In the first reading too Israelites
are told to prepare the way for the Lord by mending everything that is crooked
and rough (Is 40:3-4). By levelling everything the way becomes ready. We need
to level our life by getting reconciled with God and our neighbours. The crookedness
we have created in our lives through malice and selfish motives needs to be
made straight through our willingness to be genuine and generous. Every valley we
have created through injustice and deception in our life needs to be lifted up by
our righteous living. The mountains we have built with our pride needs to be lowered
with humility. The uneven ground and rough places which make us stumble before
God needs to be levelled through prayer and penance. In this way we become holy
and blameless before God when He comes.
The baptism given by John at
Jordan has significance for the coming of the Lord. By crossing the river Jordan,
the people of Israel inhabited new land, started new life. With the coming of
God as human in the person of Jesus, new life is about to begin – once again
newness begins from the river Jordan. John the Baptist prepares the people by
going back to the beginning point. To celebrate the coming of the Lord we need
to go back to the beginning of our life with the Lord. This advent is a time to
recall our baptismal promises and see how far we have faithfully kept those
promises. Let us use this time of advent to cleanse from all sins that make us
stumble. In the second reading, St. Peter tells that the delay in Lord’s coming
is for the advantage of the unprepared people. In delaying, the Lord is giving
them a chance to prepare well to receive Him, because His intention is not to
punish the wicked but to embrace both the good and the repentant wicked. This is
what we sing in responsorial psalm; mercy and faithfulness have met (Ps 85:10).
The good is saved for his/her faithfulness to the Lord and the wicked is saved through
mercy for his/her repentance for sins. In this way the Lord wills to descent upon
each soul He had created so dearly with eternal love.
May this time of preparation
for Christmas not distract us much with material preparations rather help us
focus on internal liberation and freedom. Let us get up and say “Here is [our]
God” (Is 40:9), for He comes with might to rule us and gather and feed us like
the Shepherd to his flocks (Is 40:10-11). May we rise to welcome the Lord with
due preparation. Wish you all a great week ahead!
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