During the four-week Advent season that begins the Church year we prepare for the coming of Jesus by remembering his birth (past), anticipating his coming in glory (future) and by celebrating his coming to us in word and sacrament (present). The Church has appointed scriptures for Advent that tell of God’s coming in Christ. The second and third Sundays focus on the coming of Christ today.
SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT – TIME OF PREPARATION
There are some saints whose personal appeal and charisma
continue to draw us to them.. Despite years and distance,
their stirring stories and miraculous legends continue to be
told. St. Nicholas has been so popular that he has been secularized
into Santa Claus. But John the Baptist enjoys no such warm
popularity.
John was a transition person, the last of the Old Testament
prophets, the first to herald the Good News. He was the
humble forerunner who proclaimed “Here is your God!”
He also cried “Repent!”
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How do I react to the description of John the Baptist in the Scripture?
Are there John the Baptist types in my life? How do I respond to them?