Advent is a way of preparing for Christmas. But what does this preparation consist of in concrete terms? How do we prepare the ways of the Lord who comes to this world? The readings of this Sunday help us understand how to make that preparation.
The first indication is given by the Gospel. John the Baptist was also asked a very similar question. When in the desert he spoke of conversion, those who came to hear him wants to verify with him his identity: Who are you? With the popularity he was gaining, John could have placed himself at the centre of the story.
The Baptist knew perfectly well that his mission was to point to the one who was to come. Hence, he identified himself as a voice in the desert and refuses to give even his own name. A voice has only a momentary existence. It vanishes after giving out the message. The message remains and not the voice. In effect, John was saying, “Do not break your head on my identity, rather pay attention to my message.”
John invited everyone to raise their eyes, to cleanse their gaze to be able to see on the horizon the one who was coming to liberate them. His call is precisely to cleanse one’s eyes to see if there is a need for conversion, to change one’s life and thus to prepare one’s heart to welcome the one who has to come.
The second indication is found in the first two readings. There is a theme that is repeated in them: joy. We are asked to rejoice, to live joyfully and in peace. Joy, then, must be another characteristic of our preparation for receiving the Lord.
Justice, brotherhood, compassion, and joy must characterize the Christian community and the Church itself. Our message to all men and women is a message of hope. What we await is God’s salvation for all. And that is what we have to announce. Care should be taken not to place ourselves at the centre of our parish, community or area of ministry, but to facilitate the encounter of all with the Lord who comes into our lives.
What God promises us is salvation not condemnation; it is life, not death. That is why, from this season of Advent on, we strive to make every sign of injustice and hatred disappear from our lives. We commit ourselves to life and for life, against the unjust deaths (loneliness, poverty, contempt…) to which so many are subjected to in our world. But we live in the joy of those who know that they are preparing the ways of the Lord of Life.
For your reflection
What does it mean to be fair in our daily lives? What can we share with others? Does our community live in the joy of waiting? Do I know how to communicate joy and hope to those who live with me?
Father Fernando Torres CMF
www.ciudadredonda.org
Translated by Father Alberto Rossa CMF
