Second Sunday of Advent -   Cycle B 

(text only, to print)

 

Bartolomeo di Giovanni. Birth of John de Baptist. (90 x 170 cm)

 

Last Sunday, Jesus reminded us that we have to watch and be ready, like the doorman who waits for his master, today we find this doorman who waits for the coming of Jesus. This doorman is the great figure of John the Baptist. 

 

Today, I invite to you to meditate, while seated, on the great figure of saint John the Baptist.

Jesus says to us: Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist (Mt 11:11).

 

 

John is a model for us from whom we can learn many things; he is a mirror where to look at ourselves, since our Christian vocation is similar to his. 

 

 What are the lessons that saint John the Baptist gives us? 

 

John the Baptist is the man who he looks for God in the desert. There he finds Him. This is his vocation. We all have to find God, according to our vocation. 

 

 

John is a Contemplative Man  

 

 

Many people do not understand the contemplative life, because they have not  understood the meaning of the theme "pray and work", which is the theme of Saint Benedict for his followers. Some say: why do they not stay in the world and lead a much more productive life, with so much work to be done. John also had much work to do, but, in spite of that, he goes to the desert and in the desert he does more work than if it had remained in the world. 

 

The Church needs these monasteries to carry out its task. The silent work of monks and nuns has a great value which sometimes we do not appreciate. 

 

 

Monasteries are the roots of the trees, which we do not see, but they give life; trees without roots would die. 

 

 

John, A Penitent Man  

 

 

John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey (Mc 1:6). 

 

 

In this time of Advent John invites us to do penance for our sins and for the sins of the people.

 

These days, much is said about Mary’s message in her apparitions at Lourdes, Fatima and Metjugorie. She asks for penance, but we don’t pay attention to that. 

 

 

John, in this time of Advent, asks us to do penance, as preparation for the great celebration of Christmas. 

 

People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins (Mk 1:5).

 

 

In this time of Advent, John also asks us to do a good confession. This great sacrament which we have exiled, because, if we are honest, we have to recognize that it is difficult for us to approach this sacrament of reconciliation. This is so because we are so proud, that we do not acknowledge, or we do not want to see our sins and defects. 

 

Baptistery Mosaic, 5th century, Ravenna, Italy. It depicts the baptism of Jesus by John in the River Jordan. The Spirit of God descends on Jesus in the form of a dove. An old man with white hair is looking: the classical personification of the river.

 

 

John is the Humble Man  

 

 

Saint John was so holy that some said that he was the Messiah. Although being so  holy, John says that he is not worthy to loosen the thongs of the sandals of the Lord. One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals (Mk 1:7).  

 

 

John is the Man who Prepares the Coming of Jesus 

 

A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths' (Mk 1:3). 

 

Like the mother prepares the coming of her son, or like the student prepares the examinations, John, with his life and his preaching, prepares the coming of the Lord. 

 

The mission of John is to prepare the way. It is the same mission that we all have all: To prepare the way for Jesus. 

 

In order to prepare this coming of the Lord, we who we have been baptized in the baptism of Jesus and have the gift of the Holy Spirit, one of the best ways to prepare the Lord’s coming, is to be attentive to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will perhaps asks us to pardon, to visit somebody in the hospital, to give some alms, to go to Mass on a few working days, or to pray more. The Spirit will certainly lead us to give witnesses of Jesus; to speak of Jesus, with the children, at home, with the neighbours and in the work place. 

 

John is the prophet who points to Jesus with his life, his words and his example. In our life, we have to also point to the adorable person of Jesus. 

 

We could say many other things about the great figure of Saint John, but it is enough for today.  

 

Let us finish with these words of the Psalmist: I say to the Lord, you are my Lord, you are my only good (Ps 16:2). In your life, try to often repeat these words of the Psalmist.