This Sunday’s Gospel presents us with the figure of a prophet, the last of the Old Testament prophets: John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus. He puts his whole life at the service of a concrete mission: to announce that it was necessary to reorganise the lives of God’s people because the Messiah wants to enter into their life story.
The very life of the prophet was a testimony for the people – setting his eyes and his life on the future, on the Messiah. His own identity or what he did or said seldom mattered to him. His comforts and safety were the least of his concerns. John was a prophet: God’s spokesman for people.
The figure of John the Baptist gives us some of the keys that should characterise the life of the Church in all times and places. The role of the Church is to be the Baptist of the present day. The Church, every Christian community, every parish, must be a prophet of God for the people. Like John, the Church is not in the world to announce herself, but to announce the saving presence of God among people.
The Church does not exist for herself, to perpetuate herself. Her centre is the Gospel. Her mission is to bring the Gospel to the hearts of all men and women and to make the Kingdom of God a reality in our world. Our life and works must bear witness that God comes and wants to come to the hearts of all men and women. Like John, the Church must know how to use word and deed to give hope and life to the men and women of our world.
Today’s readings seem to be custom-made for the tumultuous times we are living through. From the opening line of the Prophet Isaiah: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” to the Psalm: “Kindness and truth shall meet…” and finally, to the Gospel with John proclaiming: “One mightier than I is coming after me.” So many of us need comfort right now with the pandemic worsening, losing jobs, chaotic, uncertain times in which we live.
In Advent, John the Baptist is a model for the Christian community. Like him, we need to know that behind us comes one who can do more than we can. That we are only his spokespersons and heralds. The only mission of the Church is to evangelise. The only reason for her existence is to announce to people that salvation is coming, that it is already present in our world.
For your reflection
How do we announce that the Messiah, the Saviour, is already present in our world? Perhaps we are so well off in our community, we love each other so much, that we forget about the people who are waiting for our message? What gestures or signs do we make to give hope to those who do not have it or have lost it? What words do we use?
Father Fernando Armellini SCJ
Claretian Publications (bibleclaret.org)
Translated by Father John Ledesma SDB
Abridged by Father Jijo Kandamkulathy CMF
