The second Sunday of Advent offers us the figure of John the Baptist for consideration. He, the pre-cursor of the Lord, is an example of total dependence on God and focus on the One Mightier than he is. From the perspective of the Lord's coming, the Church holds the position that the Baptist once held. Like the Baptist, the Church is also invited to prepare the way of the Lord so that the men and women of the world would be prepared to meet Him when he does come.
1. John the Baptist waits for the Lord in the desert. The desert is not an ideal place to wait for anyone. But in the mind of the prophets, it was the ideal place: it was in the desert where God trained his people to adhere to him, and it is in the desert that God -- in the song of Deuteronomy 32:8-10 -- found His people.
Reflect Where is your desert? The desert is a place where one can focus on God. It doesn't have the everyday distractions we know. Advent is our training ground for attention and focus. How focused are you on God, what He wants and desires for you?
2. John the Baptist's work was to make straight the paths to the Lord. Evangelization is our common work. We do it each according to our state in life. A priest would do it differently from a married couple. A housewife will do it differently from a teenager. Despite the differences in method, evangelization only has one content: Christ
Reflect He who has received the good news must also proclaim it. He who has been evangelized must also evangelize. But to evangelize requires something else: a deeper adherence to the Lord. It is this adherence which actually moves one from within to invite others to the Lord. During this advent, how will you "make straight the paths" of the Lord?
3. John the Baptist appeared in the desert as a man who was completely dependent on the Providence of God. From his clothing to the food he ate, he was the picture of Yahweh's poor. Poverty was not something imposed on him; poverty was something he embraced.
Advent is a time where we are trained to dispose of our mundane securities so that we can whole-heartedly depend on God. When the Lord comes, all human securities will crumble and fall. Ultimately, the one who has learned to depend totally on Him will survive that day.
Reflect You probably have a lot of things that are unnecessary but which other people might find useful. What possible things can you give up during the Advent season that you can give to those who might need them?
