On the second Sunday of Advent and in today’s reflection, the faithful are inspired to go through “an authentic renewal in the Lord so they may produce good fruits, good deeds, and good lives.” InterAksyon file photo by Peter C. Marquez.
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip, tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. He went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
—Luke 3:1-6
Last December 8, 2015, the Holy Door was opened by Pope Francis on this Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy. For only through God’s mercy are we saved. On the second week of Advent, we reflect on this gospel account as we receive God’s favor and blessing.
There is a voice in the wilderness crying for repentance. It was John’s voice. In our gospel reading, John the Baptizer is calling for everyone to repent from their sins and return to God. To repent is to accept one’s sinfulness and ask God for his mercy. John’s call for repentance is very relevant today. This is likewise a strong call to us as we prepare for the Christmas, our memorial celebration of the Messiah. The memorial celebration of Jesus’ birth, of God becoming flesh becoming man.
When one repents, he/she is willing to leave his/ her old self, thus, only to one who is pure of heart can receive God in his/ her life. When we prepare for God’s coming, we have to change our crooked ways of living, hence, making straight the path of the Lord so we can walk in His path.
Baptism for John the Baptist is a serious act of repentance and the resolve to amend one’s life. For the Church, baptism has become a sacrament, a sacred sign of God’s love for us. It is our task therefore to be authentic in our resolve and will to change our lives for the better. This is a constant reminder for all of us during Advent, we have to do what we ought to do while we wait for Christmas.
In this season of Advent, we do a lot of personal, familial, and community preparations and these are done differently and variedly. We normally start cleaning and decorating our homes and work places with Christmas decorations signaling that we are ready to celebrate the event. But as we read the message of John the Baptist in our gospel reading, preparation is more than we think and do. It is the preparation of oneself, of the total self to receive Jesus, our Emmanuel.
As Christians, we are always invited to look into our lives and assess our attitude towards people and the material things around us. John was referred to as the voice in the wilderness, the voice to listen and reckon with. If we want to see and experience real salvation, let us prepare truly and let us correct our crooked ways. Make the crooked path straight for it is the path to holiness, the path that Christians take and walk through.
Let us radically change our proud, egoistic, and self-centered attitudes; let us change our narrow-mindedness and self-indulgent lifestyles, our sinful and indifferent ways of relating to others. John asked the Christians to repent and return to God. It was also an invitation from Jesus to change our old selves and be born in the spirit through baptism.
Let us change our old ways of living to new ways of living. Hence, let us have an authentic renewal in the Lord so we can produce good fruits, good deeds, and good lives.
Let us pause and pray, reflect, and ask ourselves:
Have I listened to John the Baptist’s call for repentance and followed his call?
Have I repented and returned to God?
What preparations have I done personally in this season of Advent?
Have I changed my attitude in life and my lifestyle for the better?
Can I say that I had already prepared to receive Jesus in my life?
Am I taking the straight path of Christian life?
Prayer
Almighty and Ever-living God, even if we are not worthy, still you called us to yourself and had loved us. May we always be faithful to our baptismal promises and every time we profess our faith. Strengthen us always so we can follow your will and commands faithfully. We may not be worthy to untie your sandals like John the Baptist, but you had embraced us in your love and mercy, and we thank you for that.
Help us to be always mindful of what is good and perfect in this season of Advent so we may receive its gifts and readily enjoy the blessings of Christmas. This we ask through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Intention
Let us pray for all those who are sick and suffering, may the Lord ease their pain as He touches and heals them with his loving mercy, and console them in this time of pain and hopelessness…
