The Work of the Baptizer
‘Tis the busy season for Santa Claus and Kris Kringle. We
are all working very hard to be Santa for those we love — or to be good enough
for Santa to come down our chimney this Christmas with that perfect gift. We
may be someone’s Kris Kringle or “secret Santa” this Christmas: We may
have chosen a member of our family or classmate or fellow worker for whom we will
try to make this Christmas a little more special and happier.
Being Santa or Kris Kringle can be hard but fulfilling work;
we can receive as much as we give in our Santa-playing.
But every Advent our Gospel readings center on this strange,
austere, humourless character John the Baptizer. The John of the Gospel
is no one’s idea of Christmas joy: subsisting on locusts and wild honey, clad
in camel hair, haunting a wild river bank. We happily take on the role of
Kris Kringle, but no way do we see ourselves as John the Baptizer.
But that is exactly who Advent calls us to be. In our
own baptisms we promised to become Baptizers along our own Jordan Rivers.
So let’s take on the work of the “Baptizer” this Christmas; let’s become
heralds like John as we go about our holiday preparations: May we give
the gifts of “comfort” and joy . . . may every kindness and generosity we
extend this Christmas mirror Christ’s presence in our midst . . . may we
joyfully take on the hard work of creating a highway through the rugged lands
of estrangement and alienation . . . may the gifts and greetings and
hospitality we extend proclaim the good news that God’s compassion has dawned.
Every Advent, John the Baptizer calls us to embrace the
meaning of our own baptisms: compassion, forgiveness, justice,
selflessness. This Christmas, let us take up John’s Advent work: to
straighten the crooked roads of our lives, to transform ‘deserts’ barren of
love into places of welcome and reconciliation, to gather up the lost and forgotten,
to proclaim the coming of God’s Christ in our midst.
*****************
ILLUSTRATIONS:
1. Fr. James Gilhooly
A theologian had a painting of the crucifixion in his study.
It showed John the Baptist with a long bony finger pointing to Jesus. One day a
visitor asked, "What is your job?" The theologian walked over to the
painting and said, "I am that finger." Do our lives point people to
Christ? Or do they turn them away from Him? Before you answer, remember what
Gandhi said, "I would have become a Christian if ever I had met
one."
2. Fr. Jude
Botelho
Dear Friend,
We are used to announcements that inform us that something
is going to happen or someone expected is arriving. At railway stations and
airports we hear announcements of the arrival of a train or plane that we are
awaiting. If there is someone whom we love arriving, that announcement fills us
with joy and we get all excited because we will soon see the one we are waiting
for. The good news given to us is that God is coming soon. Do we believe it? Do
we look forward to his arrival?
Are we prepared to welcome Him? Have an expectant, exciting
weekend, looking ahead!
Reflection
In the first reading the prophet Isaiah assures the people
that the period of harsh discipline is over and God will come with forgiveness
for his people. "Console my people, console them." says your God. He
will lead them back to their homeland and the difficulties along the way will
disappear as God himself will journey back with his people. The Israelites are
asked to prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Therefore they should
not wait for things to happen but should be active and vigorous in preparing
for the coming of the Lord. The preparation is not an external preparation but
a preparation of the heart and a removal of anything that does not fit in with
God's coming.
When Jesus Enters
A working man was strongly drawn towards a beautiful vase he
saw in a stall in the town market. He bought the vase and brought it home. The
vase was so beautiful that it made the front room look drab, dull and indeed
plain ugly. So he got bright prints and transformed the whole room. He got
colourful curtains to match the paint, a brightly patterned carpet, and even
stripped down and varnished furniture. Because of the beauty of the vase, the
whole room was totally transformed. -When Jesus enters my heart, the areas in
need of attention become, oh, so obvious. -Holiness consists in discovering
that I am a much bigger sinner than I ever thought I was! The closer I come to
God, the more obvious the contrast! Jack McArdle
In today's Gospel Mark highlights the example of John the
Baptist, who prepared the way for the coming of the Lord. His role was to be
the messenger announcing the coming of the Messiah. He would be the voice
crying out in the wilderness, "Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths
straight." His message was one of repentance, proclaiming a baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He invited everyone to change and
repent and experience a conversion of heart. John's preaching and personal life
witness had a dynamic impact on the people. They came forth in large numbers to
be baptized by him and they showed readiness to change their lifestyle and come
back to the Lord. What does it mean to prepare a way for the coming of the Lord
today? Where do we seek God and where will we find him?
Light in the Darkness
A man went out for a walk on a cold but bright winter's
morning. The sun had just come up and was scattering light into the four corners
of the sky. As he walked along he noticed that the moon too was in the sky. But
it was so pale compared to the sun that it was barely visible. An hour or so
ago it was a bright and beautiful creature and dominated the sky. Now it looked
like a beggar, and had been pushed in the background. It was like a candle made
redundant by electric lights. But as the man looked at it, it suddenly occurred
to him that it was this ragged creature whose faithful light had seen people
through the darkness of the night. -The moon reminds us of the Old Testament
prophets, and perhaps especially of John the Baptist. The prophets had kept
alive the hopes of the people during the long night of expectation, when it
seemed that the dawn would never come. It was thanks to them that the flame
never went out. John worked hard to bring his own light to the people. For a
while he dominated the scene. But he was always conscious that a greater light
was coming. When that light appeared in the person of Jesus, John knew that his
task was done. He pointed out Jesus and he stepped aside and allowed Jesus to
shine. Flor McCarthy
To find God
"Vladimir Ghika was a Romanian prince who became a
catholic priest and died a martyr in a Communist concentration camp in 1954.
His words are particularly apt today as we begin our own odyssey in a new
wilderness: "He who does not seek God everywhere runs the risk of not
finding him anywhere." The good news of this advice, as St. Bernard and other
mystics remind us, is that "No one can seek you O Lord, who has not
already found you." Or as St. Gregory of Nyssa put it: "To find God
one must search for him without end." Not only will we come to experience
the truth of this timely paradox, but we will discover that God does indeed let
himself be sought and found in every historical era, even in those great axial
ruptures in history such as ours. Our new spirituality will remind and reassure
us that God is still Emmanuel, that is, still very much "with us" in
the wilderness." Richard Cote
Waiting to be a Saint
Graham Greene's protagonist in the 'Power and the Glory' is
the hero or non-hero really, a seedy, alcoholic catholic priest who, after
months as a fugitive, is finally caught by the revolutionary Mexican government
and condemned to be shot. On the evening before his execution, the priest sits
in his cell with a flask of brandy to keep his courage up, and he thinks back
over what seems to him the dingy failure of his life. Greene writes: Tears
poured down his face. He was not at that moment afraid of damnation -even the
fear of pain was in the background. He felt only an immense disappointment
because he had to go to God empty-handed, with nothing done at all. It seemed
to him at that moment that it would have been quite easy to have been a saint.
It would have needed a little restraint, and a little courage. He felt like
someone who has missed happiness by seconds at the appointed place. He knew now
that, at the end, there was only one thing that counted -to be a saint. -To be
a saint I suggest is to learn how we walk, and talk to Mary our mother during
these advent days. She is a woman who knew how to become a saint. She waited
and waited for nine long months for the quiet life within her to become the
Savior, the long-desired Christ. Like her, we have to wait for God to help us
become saints.
William Bausch
Prepare for the Service of God
Martin Buber tells the story about a rabbi's disciple who
begged his master to teach him how to prepare his soul for the service of God.
The holy man told him to go to Rabbi Abraham, who at the time, was still an
innkeeper. The disciple did as instructed and lived in the inn for several
weeks without observing any vestige of holiness in the innkeeper, who, from
Morning Prayer till night devoted himself to affairs of his business. Finally
the disciple approached him and asked him what he did all day. "My most
important occupation" said Rabbi Abraham, "is to clean the dishes
properly, so that not the slightest trace of food is left, and to clean and dry
the pots and pans, so that they do not rust." When the disciple returned
home and reported to his rabbi what he had seen and heard, the rabbi said to
him, "Now you know the answer about how to prepare your soul for the
service of God." The way to reach God is by doing everything
wholeheartedly and genuinely; everything (and every act) is full of God's
holiness -so treat it accordingly with dignity and respect. Brian
Cavanaugh
Rehearsal!
It was a hot Sunday in June and millions of Americans were
watching the U.S. Golf Open on TV. At a critical point in the play, the camera
focused on John Nicklaus. He was in the rough and preparing to shoot out.
Slowly and deliberately he addressed the ball. Then for a full 20 seconds of
prime time TV, he stood poised and ready to swing. Suddenly at the last moment
he backed away from the ball and said aloud for everybody to hear, "That's
the wrong swing." The sports commentator covering the match was confused and
said, "But he didn't swing! What's going on here?" A lot was going
on. And Nicklaus explains exactly what it was in his book 'Golf My Way', in
which he describes how he prepares for every shot he takes. It is a process
called mental rehearsal. This simply means that he plays every shot in his
imagination before he plays it for real. Nicklaus writes: "It is like a
colour movie. First I 'see' the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white
on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes and I 'see' the ball
going there, even its behaviour on landing. Then there's a sort of fade-out,
and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the
previous images into reality." What Jack Nicklaus was doing on that hot
Sunday afternoon in the U.S. Golf Open is what the Church is asking us to do
during the season of Advent. The Church asks us to go through a kind of mental
rehearsal to prepare for the coming of Christ, his final coming at the end of
time. Mark Link
Letting God Find Us
A school principal called the house of one of his teachers
to find out why he was not at school. He was greeted by a small child who
whispered: "Hello?" "Is your Daddy at home?" asked the
principal. "Yes" answered the whispering child. "May I talk to
him?" the principal asked. "No," replied the small voice.
"Is your Mommy there?" the principal asked. "Yes," came the
answer. "May I talk with her?" Again the small voice
whispered, "No." "All right," said the principal, "Is
there anyone besides you?" "Yes," whispered the child, "A
policeman." "A policeman? Now may I speak with the policeman?"
"No, he is busy," whispered the child. "Busy with what?"
asked the principal. "Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the fireman,"
came the child's answer. "The fireman? Has there been a fire in the house
or something?" asked the principal. "No," whispered the child.
"Then what are the policeman and the fireman doing there?" Still
whispering, the young voice replied with a soft giggle, "They are looking
for me." It would be pretty hard for the 'rescuers' to find the child as
long as the child keeps hiding from them. -In today's Gospel we see John the
Baptist calling out to the people of Judea to come out into the open space and
let God find them. You can liken John the Baptist’s call to the fireman calling
to the 'lost' child. The child has to leave his hiding place and come out into
the open for the policeman to find him. John Pichappilly
Forget Him!
There is an interesting and thought-provoking incident from
Lawrence of Arabia. While crossing the desert in a blinding sandstorm, Lawrence
suddenly noticed that one of his group had been mistakenly left behind. Turning
to the group, he asked, "Where is Jasmine?" "Forget him,"
said one of the leaders, "not only is he sick, but he is worthless!"
Without batting an eyelid, the valiant leader turned back in search of his lost
companion, even at the risk of his own life, and would not rest content until
Jasmine had been traced and re-united to the group. Lawrence's refusal to
abandon the lost Jasmine is indeed a striking image of God's unfailing and
unwavering concern for us all. This image is echoed by the Word of God today:
"For God so love the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever
believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life." Said Bob
Goddard: "Be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, and
tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in life you have been all of
these." James Valladares
May we be always prepared and actively waiting to find and
be found by God!!
3. From Fr. Tony
Kadavil
1) John the Baptist, the Pony Express of the past: The
Pony Express was founded by William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and
Alexander Majors. Plans for the Pony Express were spurred by the threat of the
Civil War and the need for faster communication with the West. The Pony Express
consisted of relays of men riding horses carrying saddlebags of mail across a
2000-mile trail. The service opened officially on April 3, 1860, when riders
left simultaneously from St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California
through Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. The first westbound trip was
made in 9 days and 23 hours and the eastbound journey in 11 days and 12 hours.
The Express Riders covered 250 miles in a 24-hour day. Their salary was $ 100
to 150 a month, high wages in those days. Eventually, the Pony Express had
more than 100 stations, 80 riders, and between 400 and 500 horses. The express
route was extremely hazardous, because the riders had to fight Indians and
bandits using their two revolvers and knife. But only one mail delivery
was ever lost. The service lasted only 19 months until October 24, 1861, when
the completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for its existence
although California relied upon news from the Pony Express during the early
days of the Civil War. However, the romantic drama surrounding the Pony
Express has made it a part of the legend of the American West. Today’s Gospel
reminds us of those brave, fearless and young Express Riders with the Lord’s
words. “I am sending my messenger…to prepare the way of the Lord.”
2) Letting God Find Us: A school principal
called the house of one of his teachers to find out why he was not at school.
He was greeted by a small child who whispered: “Hello?” in his daddy’s cell
phone. “Is your Daddy at home?” asked the principal. “Yes” answered the
whispering child. “May I talk to him?” the principal asked. “No,” replied the
small voice. “Is your Mommy there?” the principal asked. “Yes,” came the
answer. “May I talk with her?” Again, the small voice whispered,
“No.” “All right,” said the principal, “Is there anyone besides you?” “Yes,”
whispered the child, “A policeman.” “A policeman? Now may I speak with the policeman?”
“No, he is busy,” whispered the child. “Busy with what?” asked the principal.
“Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the fireman,” came the child’s answer. “The
fireman? Has there been a fire in the house or something?” asked the principal.
“No,” whispered the child. “Then what are the policeman and the fireman doing
there?” Still whispering, the young voice replied with a soft giggle, “They are
looking for me.” It would be pretty hard for the ‘rescuers’ to find the child
as long as the child keeps hiding from them. -In Today’s Gospel we see John the
Baptist calling out to the people of Judea to come out into the open space and
let God find them. You can liken John the Baptist’s call to the fireman calling
to the ‘lost’ child. The child has to leave his hiding place and come out into
the open for the policeman to find him. (John Pichappilly in The Table of
the Word).
3) A Tale of Repentance. Not
too many years ago, newspapers carried the story of Al Johnson, a Kansas man
who repented of his sins and chose Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. What
made his story so remarkable was the fact that, as a result of his newfound
Faith in Christ, he confessed to a bank robbery he had participated in when he
was nineteen years old. Because of the statute of limitations, Johnson could
not be prosecuted for the offense. But because of his complete and total change
of heart, he not only confessed his crime but voluntarily repaid his share of
the stolen money! That’s repentance – metanoia — the
radical change of heart demanded by John the Baptist in today’s Gospel. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
4. “I did not send you!” A man who thought he was John the
Baptist was disturbing the neighborhood. So, for public safety, he was
forcefully taken to the psychiatric ward of a hospital. He was put in a room
with another crazy patient. He immediately began his routine, “I am John the
Baptist! The Lord has sent me as the forerunner of Christ the Messiah!”
The other guy looked at him and declared, “I am the Lord your God. I did not
send you!”
5. “Maybe Jesus was a Jew, but God is a Baptist!” A
little girl who normally attended another Sunday School happened to attend a
Methodist Sunday School one weekend, while visiting her grandmother. In the
course of the morning she heard a number of things she wasn’t quite sure about,
but when the teacher said that Jesus was a Jew she responded, “Maybe Jesus was
a Jew, but God is a Baptist!”(Of course, God isn’t a Baptist; and neither was
John the Baptist, for that matter. That is why the Revised Standard Version
calls him “John the Baptizer”…to avoid such confusion.)
6. “Fake Jeep?” Christmas shopping, though fun,
can be difficult. Did you hear about the guy that bought his wife a beautiful
diamond ring for Christmas? A friend of his said, “I thought she wanted one of
those sporty 4-Wheel drive vehicles.” “She did,” he replied. “But where am I
going to find a fake Jeep?”
31- Additional anecdotes:
1) Resistance Movement in Europe and Israel: During
World War II, there were a variety of underground groups that sprang up
throughout German-occupied Europe in an attempt to oppose the Nazi regime.
Known generically as the Resistance, this grassroots movement was comprised of
still untold numbers of civilians as well as armed partisans and guerrilla
fighters. Their activities on behalf of their respective governments included:
assisting in the escape of Jews, captured Allied soldiers and others who were
unjustly detained; committing acts of sabotage and smuggling intelligence
information to the Allied command; publishing and circulating clandestine
newspapers and other informative literature. Among the publications of the
Resistance were poems, songs and accounts of heroism intended to bolster their
compatriots to persevere against the growing tyranny. If the time that
Deutero-Isaiah and his contemporaries spent in exile in Babylonia could be
compared to the oppression of Europe during the second world war, then the
visions, songs and oracles, through which the prophet supported and encouraged
his people, could be called Resistance Literature. Also known as
the Book of Comfort or Consolation, Isaiah 40-55 is the work of an unnamed
mid-sixth century B.C.E. prophet. In this his inaugural vision, the prophet has
identified himself and his mission as well as the role of Israel for the
future. (Sanchez Files).
2) Growing crabs “molt” every so often as
they grow. Permit me to draw an analogy. We “aficionados” of crab
meat – both as cooks and as consumers – are aware that growing crabs “molt”
every so often as they grow. This means that they shed their outer shell, which
does not grow, to make room for a new shell more conducive to housing their
growing body. And they need lots of “moisture” to avoid death and to make the
process less painful. This “self-shedding of the old” is doing “radical
violence” to what we call the crab’s body. But it is absolutely necessary in
order to avoid death from suffocation in his “old” lifestyle.Now take that
analogy to the spiritual level. St. Paul is saying (in effect) that we, too,
must make “every effort to be found without stain or defilement” when the Lord
comes again. Notice that it calls for effort on our part; we don’t just waltz
our way into heaven – it takes work, albeit joyful work. We need to shed our
old “shells” of selfishness and pride, as well as our disobedience to the
teachings of the Church Magisterium in matters of faith and morals (such
disobedience is also sinful and stubborn pride, is it not?).St. Paul is warning
us not to be caught wrapped in a useless shell of cultural conformity that
prevents spiritual growth. Continued spiritual growth is an absolutely
essential part of our preparation for eternity; it is our way of “preparing the
way of the Lord” who will come again at a time unknown to us, without warning.
We need the “moisture” of prayer, humility and trustful obedience to the
Magisterium to avoid eternal death. (Bishop Clarke).
3) Trailblazer successors of John the Baptists: “In
1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Columbus was a
trailblazer who dared to believe that it was possible to reach the East Indies
by sailing west across a vast uncharted ocean. Yet, even with the odds stacked
against him, Columbus sailed with his flotilla of three ships. His eventual
discovery of the New World blazed a path that many have followed. About eighty
years later Nicholas Copernicus, a Polish priest and amateur
astronomer, initiated another revolution. His observations of the heavens
convinced him that the theory of Ptolemy (ca. 150 BC, an Egyptian mathematician
and astronomer), that the earth was the center of the universe, was wrong and
that the sun was the center of the solar system with the earth one of many
heavenly bodies which rotated around it. This heliocentric theory was not
supported by Church as it was not the description in the Bible. Thus,
Copernicus was forced to wait until the year of his death to publish his work.
In 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out on an
expedition that led to the opening of the West in the United States. Lewis
and Clark, in their famous three-year journey by boat and on foot, blazed a
trail for countless pioneers who later went west in search of land, fortune,
and fame. Christiaan Barnard, a South African physician and
surgeon, had conducted many experiments with human hearts, especially the
replacement of valves. But on December 3, 1967, he performed the first heart
transplant. The patient lived only eighteen days, but it was a start. His
second transplant patient survived over a year and a half. Barnard was the
trailblazer for modern heart surgery. Today the transplantation of a human
heart is so commonplace that when it happens it receives not one word in the
local paper or on the evening news. Columbus, Copernicus, Lewis and Clark, and
Christiaan Barnard were all trailblazers. They had the courage to prepare a
path that others could follow, a route that in each case brought the world to a
better and more advanced state. On this Second Sunday of Advent we hear John
the Baptist, in our Gospel Reading, blazing a special path, as he prepared the
way of the Lord. We are asked to do the same for our brothers and sisters. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
4) “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”: A
middle-age woman is having a near-death experience in the operating room. She
asks God if she is going to die. God says no and explains that she has another
30 to 40 years to live. With all those bonus years assured, she decides to make
the most of them by staying on at the hospital to have an “extreme makeover.”
She has a face-lift, liposuction, breast augmentation and a tummy tuck. She
even changes her hair color to platinum blonde. As a “new” woman, she proudly
sashays out of the hospital and is struck and killed by a speeding ambulance at
the entrance. At the Pearly Gates she confronts God and tells him, “I thought
you said I had another 30 to 40 years!” God replies, “Sorry, I didn’t recognize
you.” The Jews didn’t recognize John the Baptist, not knowing if he was the
herald or the Messiah himself.
5) Homecoming in Roots. Homecoming
is featured in Alex Haley’s epic saga of an American family, Roots.
“Chicken George”, son of Kizzy and grandson of the family’s African patriarch,
Kunta Kinte, had been sold by his master to a member of the English gentry who
used the man’s skills at training cocks to fight. George had been promised
that, after a few years in Europe, he’d be able to return home to his family,
as a free man. But, as with many such promises, years passed before it was
fulfilled. When at last George did return, his coming home had significance
for all his family. This would indeed be a new beginning. Now
a free man, George had the capability of buying the freedom of his aged wife,
grown sons, their wives and his grandchildren. Though their aged and furrowed
faces bore a visible record of years of want and struggle, their eyes burned
with an unmistakable determination to keep their family together and to keep
alive the traditions of their ancestral African people. Those same eyes brimmed
with tears of joy at the thought of leaving their slave quarters and of
finally coming home, to a plot of land bought by Chicken George in
Tennessee. On this second Sunday of Advent, each of the selections from
Scripture would also have us consider the notion of coming home – Babylonian
exiles coming home, shalom or perfect peace coming
home and Jesus the Savior “coming home” into our lives. (Sanchez
Files). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
6) Conversion of IRA bomber: For 300
years the people in Ireland have lived in the past. For 350 years, really, all
they have done is remember the past, taking revenge on one another. But
slowly, one by one, on both sides, people have begun to repent, to look, not to
the past, but to the future. One of the first to do so was a man named Shane
O’Doherty. He was the first former IRA member to come out publicly for peace.
Twenty years ago he was sent to jail for mailing letter bombs. At his trial as
a terrorist for the IRA, he had to sit and listen to people tell what it was
like to open those letters. Fourteen people testified against him, all innocent
victims, many of them mutilated because of what he had done. He said it was
sitting in that court, face to face with people who had been harmed by his
actions that his conversion began. But it was completed in prison, in his cell,
as he was reading Scripture. First he experienced Jesus’ love for him. Then he
experienced Jesus’ requirement of him. He knew he had to change. When he got
out of prison, O’Doherty started to talk about building a new future in
Ireland, instead of just repeating the past. He found that his life was now
being threatened by his former colleagues. But he continued to do it, because,
he said, “I believe that one person is able to make a difference just by
talking about peace, just by making his witness. It begins in any nation, in
any community, with one person, then another, and then another, saying, ‘I’m
going to accept the future that God is giving to us, rather than simply
repeating the past.’” Every year in Advent they are there, both John and Jesus,
saying, “Repent; for the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom is at
hand.” God is offering us a new future. Let us choose it, turn away
from the past, and accept what God is offering us.
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
7) “Come home for your dear Daddy’s sake.”: Ian
Maclaren once told a delightful story of Lackland Campbell and his daughter
Dora. Dora left home and fell into the wrong kind of relationships. She began
to misuse the gifts of life. Soon she did not respond to her father’s letters
because she found it difficult to relate to him. Maggie, Dora’s aunt, wrote her
a letter that finally melted her heart. At the end of the letter Maggie writes:
“Dora, your Daddy is a grievin’ ye. Come home for your own sake. Come home for
your dear Daddy’s sake. But, Dora, come home most of all for the dear Lord’s sake!”
[Lloyd John Oglivie. The Cup of Wonder (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Baker Book House, 1976).] Christmas is a time of coming home. John the
Baptist’s message was simple: “Repent,” turn your life around, change your
mind, examine your motives, because the Messiah will be here soon. This brings
us to the final theme of today’s text. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
8) “The University Has Been Waiting 250 Years for Us.“: At
the 250th anniversary of the founding of Harvard University, the students
marched in a torchlight procession. The most memorable group was the Freshman
Class, one month old, which emerged with a gigantic banner reading, “The
University Has Been Waiting 250 Years for Us.” The New Testament presents Jesus
Christ and exclaims that all the ages have been waiting for His arrival, that
all history has been preparing for His coming. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
9) Prepare the way: Culturally,
Alexander the Great had spread the Greek language over most of the civilized
world three centuries earlier. It was then established as the international
language by which the Gospel could be communicated. Governmentally, the Romans
furnished a system of law which made it possible for the Gospel to grow in
relative stability. Logistically, the system of Roman roads made travel by
missionaries very possible. (Ernest White.) Do you suppose that as Alexander
was extending his empire, he had any idea that God was using him to prepare the
way for the Babe of Bethlehem? Do you suppose that as the Romans built the
roads that made commerce possible over all the known world, they knew that they
were preparing the way for the King of Kings? When Augustus Caesar sent out his
decree that all the world should be taxed and that every person should be
enrolled in his own city, do you suppose that he had any idea that he was
engaged in bringing to pass an ancient prophecy that the Messiah should be born
in Bethlehem? By the time John cried out in the wilderness his prophetic,
“Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,” God had already been
at work for thousands of years bringing about just the right conditions for the
birth of his Son. Then, in the fullness of time, Christ was born.
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
10) “I have never felt remorse.”: In
September of 1985, convicted killer Theodore Streleski was released from prison
after having served seven years for the hammer-slaying of a Stanford University
professor. He had been a model prisoner in many ways. On three occasions prior
to his release, he had been offered parole, but each time he rejected it because
he was unwilling to accept its conditions. One condition was that he express
some remorse for his crime and promise never to kill again. But Streleski said,
“I do not feel remorse. I have never felt remorse.” (The Bellevue (Ohio)
Gazette, Sept. 9, 1985, p. 1) Repentance is important. Confession is
important. Obviously, when we confess our sins we are not giving God any
information God doesn’t already have. But we are getting our souls in position
where we can accept God’s forgiveness.
11) Missing figure in the nativity scene: A
three-year-old was helping his mother unpack their nativity set. He announced
each piece as he removed its tissue paper wrappings. “Here’s the donkey!” he
said. “Here’s a king and a camel!” When he finally got to the tiny infant lying
in a manger he proclaimed, “Here’s Baby Jesus in his car seat!” Well, it wasn’t
a car seat, but that would be an easy mistake to make, wouldn’t it? We all love
nativity scenes. Baby Jesus in the manger . . . Mary and Joseph hovering
reverently over the Holy Child . . . shepherds, wise men, assorted cattle,
sheep and camels . . . and, of course, a donkey. But, as someone has noted,
there is always one person missing from these nativity scenes. Have you ever
seen John the Baptist in any of the nativity scenes? Louder than any Santa
says, ‘Ho, ho, ho,’ you would hear the automated voice of John the Baptist
screaming, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is near.’ Has anyone noticed a figure like
that in any of the nativity scenes that are traditional to our celebration of
Christmas?” (http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/pmol/pastissues/2005%20Advent/webdec4.htm.
) Well, no. At least, I’ve never seen a nativity scene featuring John the
Baptist. Yet, on the second Sunday of Advent, we always encounter this strange
lonely figure sounding his message out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for
the Lord.” (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12) “Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth“: A
popular paperback says “Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth” (Hal
Lindsey and C.C. Carlson, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972)…in
spite of the fact that Jesus said precisely the opposite. (See Luke 10:18) The
Ayatollah Khomeini referred to America as “The Great Satan” and then did things
that seemed to earn the title for himself. He called us “Satan,” and we were
quick to return the compliment. Everybody seems to know more about Satan than I
do. I once heard of a minister in Chicago who preached three sermons on the
Devil. His titles were: “Who the Devil he is,” “What the Devil he does” and
“How the Devil he does it.” Today’s readings challenge us to know more about
Jesus and his triple “homecoming” to earth.
13) “What are swaddling clothes?”: A
6-year-old little girl, missing a front tooth, emerged from her Sunday school
class with a grin on her face, a piece of candy and a new pencil in her hands.
“Guess what?” she said to Mom, “I was the best listener today. I won the
prize!” “That’s wonderful,” Mom replied. “How did you win?” “Miss Lynda read a
story about baby Jesus then asked what Mary wrapped the baby Jesus in when she
laid him in the manger.” “Well, what did Mary wrap him in?” “Swaddling
clothes,” came the quick reply. “What are swaddling clothes?” Mom asked. “I
don’t know,” she admitted, shrugging her shoulders. “I guess they’re what ducks
wear.” (Childress, Modesto, California in Christian Herald).
Sometimes we treat Christmas like that; we know the answers, we know the story
but we don’t know the meaning behind those answers. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
14) Jesus was born up at the North Pole:
In a Family Circus cartoon, the little girl sits her baby
brother on her lap and tells him the story of Christmas. According to her
version: Jesus was born just in time for Christmas up at the North Pole
surrounded by eight tiny reindeer and the Virgin Mary. Then Santa Claus showed
up with lots of toys and stuff and some swaddling clothes. The three Wise men
and elves all sang carols while the Little Drummer Boy and Scrooge helped
Joseph trim the tree. In the meantime, Frosty the Snowman saw this star. We can
appreciate her confusion. There is a lot to learn about Christmas. Who does the
teaching in your home?
15) The Desert Experience: In the
high desert of Crestone, Colorado in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains there is a
hermitage called the Spiritual Life Institute. Founded in 1960 by
Fr. William McNamara, the Institute is a center for contemplation under the
direction of an ecumenical community of men and women. At the entrance to the
Spiritual Life Institute there is a wooden plaque which serves as the Magna
Carta of their desert experience. On this wooden plaque is a triangle
with three words inside – silence, solitude and simplicity – and three words
outside – contemplation, communion and celebration. One of the desert
heroes of this Institute is John the Baptist, who is introduced in today’s
Gospel as a “voice in the desert, heralding the Lord’s coming.” The Gospel then
goes on to keynote his desert experience as an ideal Advent preparation for
Christmas. [Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds; quoted by
Fr. Botelho.]. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
16) Reverse mind: A woman was
dying of cancer. Her doctor said, “Ma’am, your cancer has spread, and I’m
afraid you’ll die soon. Is there any last wish you’d like me to fulfill?”
“Yes,” cried the woman weakly, “Can you take me to another doctor?” It’s
difficult to accept painful truths like, “I’m sick,” or “I’m a sinner.” But,
John’s accusing finger diagnoses my spiritual cancers, and prescribes their
cure: repentance. “Prepare a way,” says John; “make paths straight!” The Greek
word for repentance, metanoia, etymologically means ‘reverse
mind’. John calls me to reverse my mad rush against God and surf safely on the
waves of Love. The world’s ways are enticing: Its waves promise ‘new
highs’ of narcotics, narcissism, sex, success, popularity and possessions.
Indeed, John the Baptist’s “cry in the wilderness” is a far cry from what
Indo-American Deepak Chopra and other New Age gurus and TV-evangelists promise
of ‘instant salvation’. Will I prepare my way to meet The Way? [Francis
Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds; quoted by Fr.
Botelho.] (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
17) It’s all about preparation: In
the late seventies, Pope St. John Paul II visited Ireland. It was a wonderful
occasion and it will live forever in the memories of those who were involved.
Apart from the blessings of the Good Lord Himself, there were many reasons why
the occasion went so well. The most important one, in my opinion, was the
preparation that preceded his visit. I was personally involved in some of this,
so I experienced it at first hand. We had huge crowds at special Masses and
All-night Vigils, and there were thousands of prayer-cards all over the place,
with prayers for a blessing on the Papal visit. When the Pope finally arrived,
we were ready. I believe we were as prepared as we could have been. It was a
huge success, and a time of many blessings for all. I am fully convinced that
the effort put into the preparation contributed enormously to those blessings. Jack
McArdle
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
18) “39 years had gone by!”: In the
film The Cemetery Club, Esther, a middle-aged widow, reflects on
the sudden death of her husband, Murray: “By the time the ambulance got there,
he was gone. It just seems so unreal, you know? There we were, enjoying a
wonderful dinner and… When I got home that night, his cigar was still in the
ashtray. His tooth brush was still damp. I just couldn’t make sense of it, you
know? It is like one day you’re looking into his face as he proposes and the
next day you’re standing at his grave remembering how nervous he had been –
and, between those two days, 39 years had gone by! Application: How are we
using out time? [Gerard Fuller in Stories for all Seasons; quoted
by Fr. Botelho.]
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
19) “Made a difference to this one.”: One
day, a man was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a
boy reaching down to the sand, picking up something and very gently throwing it
back into the sea. As he got closer, he called out, “Good morning, young man!
What are you doing?” The young person paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing
starfish into the sea.” Why are you throwing starfish into the sea?” the
man asked. “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in
they’ll die.” “But, don’t you realize that there are miles of beach here
and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!” The boy
listened politely. Then he knelt down, picked up another starfish and threw it
into the sea, past the breaking waves and said…”Made a difference to this
one.” Advent is the time to make a difference in the life of somebody.
(Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J.) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
20) Searching for the lost key: A
neighbor found Nasuruddin on hands and knees. “What are you searching for,
Mullah?” “My key.” Both men got on their knees to search. After a while the
neighbor says, “Where did you lose it?” “At home.” “Good Lord! Then why are you
searching here?” “Because it’s brighter here!” We must search for the better
life where we lost it, and we lost it where God is; and where God is, there are
“new heavens and new earth” During this Advent, therefore, we need to get into
a symbolic desert experience, in order to experience God, Who is already here
amongst us. “Here I am with you,” says God, “and you keep thinking of Me,
talking of Me with your tongue and searching for Me in your books! When will
you shut up and see?” [Vima Dasan in His Word Lives.]
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
21) Facilitating God’s coming: A monk was
passing along a dangerous and deserted highway. He came across a wounded
man with high fever lying helplessly on the roadside. The monk took compassion
on him and began to take care of him. He cleaned his wounds and tied them with
medicinal leaves; he shared his food with him and spent the night taking care
of him. The following morning the man was a little better and he was able to
proceed on his own. When the monk was about to take leave, the stranger turned
towards the monk and said to him, “Sir, you do not know who I am – neither my
name, nor my race or caste or language, yet you bound my wounds, shared your
food and spent the night taking care of me. Tell me, what made you do all these
things for me?” Then the monk replied, “The Lord who created me said, ‘What you
do to the least of your brethren, you do it for Me.’ You are my brother. What I
had have done for you, I have done for my Lord.” Then the man said, “Sir, who
is your God? If your God makes you do all these things to a stranger, then I
need that God. Give your God to me.” The monk paved the way for God in that
man’s life. It is said that a saint is one who makes it easy for others to
believe in God. [John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr.
Botelho.]
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
22) “Empty your cup”: In the Zen
tradition of the Far East there is a story about a professor who went to visit
the great master Nan-In one day. “Master,” he said, “teach me what I need to
know to have a happy life. I have studied the Sacred Scriptures, I have visited
the greatest teachers in the land, but I have not found the answer. Please
teach me the way.” At this point Nan-In served tea to his guest. He
poured his visitor’s cup full and then kept on pouring and pouring so that the
tea began to run over the rim of the cup and across the table, and still he
poured, until tea was cascading upon the floor. The professor watched this
until he could not longer restrain himself. “It’s overfull! Stop! No more
will go in!” he cried out. “Like this cup”, Nan-in said, “you are full of your
own opinions and speculations. How can I show you the way unless you first
empty your cup?” Let us empty our hearts of all the unnecessary and harmful
stuff during these Advent weeks, clean it with tears of repentance and
confession of sins, allow it to be filled with God and keep Him the center of
our lives during Christmas and every day of the New Year. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
23) Preparation of an artist: Our
tendency is to think that everything should happen fast and easily – especially
in our spiritual life. But that’s not true. Think about how much work goes into
to plowing a farmer’s field before it’s ready to plant. Think about the nine
months of preparation that occur before a mother gives birth to her child.
Think about the literally thousands of man-hours that a professional football
team uses just to get ready for one regular season football game. Or think
about everything artists have to do in order to get their canvas ready for
painting. After building a wooden frame, cutting the canvas to fit it,
stretching the canvas over the frame and attaching it firmly and evenly,
they’re still not ready to paint. They have to prime the canvas first, applying
a layer of “sizing”, a thin coat of weak glue that acts as a sealant and
protective coating. Once that is dry, they have to apply the “ground,” a layer
of special gesso [JEH-sew] or very thin plaster that produces a uniform color,
texture, and level of absorbency. When the first coat of gesso dries, the
artist has to lightly brush the entire canvas with sandpaper to smooth it out,
and then apply a second coat. Only when that coat has dried and been smoothed
is the canvas ready to become a work of art. If an artist is careless with this
painstaking process of preparation, the acid in the oil paint will soak through
the surface and deteriorate the fabric of the canvas. Then, years later, the
painting will suddenly and inexplicably start to fall apart. Advent is about
preparing the canvas of our hearts to receive God’s grace at Christmas.
(E-Priest). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
24) St. Louis IX Reaches Out: God’s
tireless attention to us is shown forth eloquently in the lives of the saints,
who are always striving to seek out the lost sheep and tend to the needs of
those around them. St. Louis IX, King of France in the thirteenth century, is a
perfect example. His 52-year reign is still considered one of France’s most
golden ages. He understood that God had not made him King so that he could
enjoy himself, but so that he could show forth God’s goodness to his people. He
used to walk through the streets of his cities distributing alms by the
handful. He would go into the hospitals and homes for the dying and nurse the
worst cases himself. He would sometimes invite to his own royal dinner table
twenty homeless people whose filth and stench revolted even the soldiers of his
guard. Once when he was outside, he heard the distant rattle of a leper, which
was a warning to stay away from the afflicted person. But St. Louis walked
directly towards the sound instead of away from it, and embraced the hideously
deformed man. He gave special attention to the administration of justice,
introducing lasting reforms in the legal system. His biographer even tells
about how he would sometimes leave morning Mass and go outside under an oak
tree near the edge of the woods. He would stay there all day to hear complaints
and cases of the common people, administering justice quickly and fairly so
that they didn’t have to invest time and money in following the complex court
procedures. He was always present to his people, because he had discovered that
God was always present to him. And God is present to us too, always waiting for
us. (E- Priest). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
25) To find God: “Vladimir Ghika was a
Romanian prince who became a Catholic priest and died a martyr in a Communist
concentration camp in 1954. His words are particularly apt today as we begin
our own Odyssey in a new wilderness: “He who does not seek God everywhere runs
the risk of not finding him anywhere.” The good news of this advice, as St.
Bernard and other mystics remind us, is, “No one can seek you O Lord, who has
not already found you.” Or as St. Gregory of Nyssa put it: “To find God one
must search for Him without end.” Not only will we come to experience the truth
of this timely paradox, but we will discover that God does indeed let Himself
be sought and found in every historical era, even in those great axial ruptures
in history such as ours. Our new spirituality will remind and reassure us that
God is still Emmanuel, that is, still very much “with us” in the
wilderness.” (Richard Cote; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
26) Prepare for the Service of God: Martin
Buber tells the story about a rabbi’s disciple who begged his master to teach
him how to prepare his soul for the service of God. The holy man told him to go
to Rabbi Abraham, who at the time, was still an innkeeper. The disciple did as
instructed and lived in the inn for several weeks without observing any vestige
of holiness in the innkeeper, who, from Morning Prayer till night devoted
himself to affairs of his business. Finally, the disciple approached him and
asked him what he did all day. “My most important occupation” said Rabbi
Abraham, “is to clean the dishes properly, so that not the slightest trace of
food is left, and to clean and dry the pots and pans, so that they do not
rust.” When the disciple returned home and reported to his rabbi what he had
seen and heard, the rabbi said to him, “Now you know the answer about how to
prepare your soul for the service of God.” The way to reach God is by doing
everything wholeheartedly and genuinely; everything (and every act) is full of
God’s holiness — so treat it accordingly with dignity and respect. (Brian
Cavanaugh in Sower’s Seeds of Christian Family Values; quoted by Fr.
Botelho). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
27) Rehearsal!: It was a hot Sunday
in June and millions of Americans were watching the U.S. Golf Open on TV. At a
critical point in the play, the camera focused on Jack Nicklaus. He was in the
rough and preparing to shoot out. Slowly and deliberately he addressed the ball.
Then for a full 20 seconds of prime-time TV, he stood poised and ready to
swing. Suddenly at the last moment he backed away from the ball and said aloud
for everybody to hear, “That’s the wrong swing.” The sports commentator
covering the match was confused and said, “But he didn’t swing! What’s going on
here?” A lot was going on. And Nicklaus explains exactly what it was in his
book, Golf My Way, in which he describes how he prepares for every
shot he takes. It is a process called mental rehearsal. This simply means that
he plays every shot in his imagination before he plays it for real. Nicklaus
writes: “It is like a color movie. First, I ‘see’ the ball where I want it to
finish, nice and white on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly
changes, and I ‘see’ the ball going there, even its behavior on landing. Then
there’s a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of
swing that will turn the previous images into reality.” What Jack Nicklaus was
doing on that hot Sunday afternoon in the U.S. Golf Open is what the Church is
asking us to do during the season of Advent. The Church asks us to go through a
kind of mental rehearsal to prepare for the coming of Christ, his final coming
at the end of time. (Mark Link). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
28) “Forget Him!”: There is an
interesting and thought-provoking incident from Lawrence of Arabia. While
crossing the desert in a blinding sandstorm, Lawrence suddenly noticed that one
of his group had been mistakenly left behind. Turning to the group, he asked,
“Where is Jasmine?” “Forget him,” said one of the leaders, “not only is he
sick, but he is worthless!” Without batting an eyelid, the valiant leader
turned back in search of his lost companion, even at the risk of his own life,
and would not rest content until Jasmine had been traced and re-united to the
group. Lawrence’s refusal to abandon the lost Jasmine is indeed a striking
image of God’s unfailing and unwavering concern for us all. This image is
echoed by the Word of God today: “For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have
eternal life.” Said Bob Goddard: “Be tender with the young, compassionate with
the aged, and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in life you have been
all of these.” (James Valladares in Your words, O Lord, Are Spirit, and They
are Life). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
29) “The Shaking Reality of Advent”: Twenty
years after the end of World War II, the German postal system released a series
of stamps honoring eight of the countless people who served in the Resistance
during the Nazi regime. Among those honored with a commemorative stamp were
Lutheran pastor and professor Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Alfred Delp, a Jesuit
priest. Delp was editor of the Jesuit monthly The Voice of the Times until it
was suppressed in 1941. He then moved to a suburban parish, where he became an
address for Jews escaping on the underground route to Switzerland. Delp was
eventually arrested and sent to Berlin by the Gestapo, and his lengthy
interrogation and torture ended with his death by hanging in February 1945. He
penned several pieces in secret and had them smuggled out of the prison. Among
them was an essay he wrote shortly before his execution called “The Shaking
Reality of Advent” [from Watch For the Light, (Farmington, Pa.: Plough
Publishing House, 2001).] In that essay, Delp insisted, “There is nothing we
modern people need more than to be genuinely shaken up.” Rather than live in an
utterly false and counterfeit security, we need to allow our inmost spirit to
be moved by God so that we may begin to live in that movement and disquiet of
heart that results when we are faced with God. Face-to-face with God, we begin
to see things clearly, as they really are. We begin to see sin for what it is
and to recognize ourselves as needing repentance and forgiveness. On this,
Advent’s second Sunday, the Biblical authors echo Delp’s ideas as they join
their voices to speak a message intended to shake us into a renewed awareness
of God’s coming into our lives.
30) “Why don’t you fix the clock’s inner
parts?”: A man once owned a large and expensive clock
crafted in Switzerland. He kept the clock in a window, where it was seen by
passersby who set their watches by it. But something was wrong with the clock.
Its hands habitually showed the wrong time. So, the man spent considerable
energy every day in turning the clock’s hands to the right positions. This went
on for several years, which kept the owner weary. One day someone suggested,
“Instead of wasting your energy in correcting the hands, why don’t you fix the clock’s
inner parts?” “What a tremendous idea!” the owner exclaimed in astonishment and
delight. “I never thought of that!” [Vernon Howard. Inspire
Yourself (Grants Pass, OR: Four Star Books, Inc., 1975).] God did not
intend to make a few cosmetic changes by sending Christ into the world. God
intended nothing less than to change the whole dynamic of human character.
That’s why each Advent we encounter this strange character, John the Baptist,
with his call to repentance. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
31) He gathers the lambs: On August
24, 1981, twelve children from Saranac Lake, led by two adults, began to
descend from the crest of wooded Ampersand Mountain, which they had just
climbed. Ten-year-old Kathryn Dekkers, the last in line, stopped for a minute
to tie her shoestrings. When she tried to catch up with the strung-out party
she unfortunately took the wrong turn of the trail. In moments she was lost in
the depths of the great Adirondack forest. As soon as the leaders noticed that
she was not with them, they wisely completed the trip and reported her missing.
Everybody was deeply concerned. The last time a hiker had gone astray in that
area in 1896, he had never been found. Kathryn’s father and brothers quickly
assembled a searching party of 200 to comb the woods. They fanned out from the
trail and kept looking for three days. Finally, thanks to a hunch of one of the
hunters in the posse they discovered the little wanderer. Kate was hungry and a
little scratched-up but otherwise sound in body and mind. In fact, her only
real fear was facing her mother. She had lost her socks and was afraid of a big
scolding. Now somebody might ask (say a robot): Why should 200 people take
three days off and go traipsing through the woods in search of one small child
only ten years of age? Anybody with a heart could answer. All the living things
of earth that God has created are precious. Most precious among his creatures
is the human being, no matter how small. He made us lovingly in his own image
and likeness. He made sparrows, too; but we are worth more to him and to our
fellowmen than many sparrows. “… Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his
arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes
with care.” (Isaiah, 40: 10-11. Today’s first reading). (Father Robert F.
McNamara)
4. From
Sermons.com
Mark 1:1-8 - "Prepare the Way"
Mark 1:1-8 - "The Four Scents of
Adventing"
His name was John. People knew him locally as the Baptist.
Some would say of him that he was a religious eccentric. Others less kind would
dismiss him as being simply a flake. He definitely did not seem to be the kind
of "How to win friends and influence people" type of personality to
usher in the news of the Messiah's coming. He just somehow doesn't seem to fit
in with shepherds and wise men and the other characters that we traditionally
associate with the Christmas story. Yet, this was God's unlikely servant chosen
to herald the spectacular events that would soon follow. A most unlikely
promotions man to be sure, but God's man nevertheless.
From the very beginning everything about John was unique. His mother Elizabeth
was related to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Elizabeth conceived six months before
Mary. But Mary happened to be a very young girl, indeed almost a child. Most
scholars put her probable age at thirteen. It was not unusual for a girl in
that day and time to be of childbearing age at such a tender age. Indeed, it is
not unheard of even in contemporary America.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, was a woman who was in the
golden years of her life. She had never given birth to a child. You would think
of her more in the category of great grandmother than mother. Yet, she and her
aging priest of a husband were the unlikely candidates. It's not out of the
question today with recent advances in medicine, but beg the grandmother's here
today, don't take this as a word from the Lord!
And then there was John himself. Being the same age as Jesus
they grow up together, played together, yet as they reached adulthood they were
different in so many ways. When John began his ministry he lived in the desert
solitude of Judea, a rugged desert wilderness. He fed on honey and wild locust
and dressed in garments of camel hair. He constantly brooded over the
scriptures, especially the prophetic ministry of Elijah, after whom he modeled
his own ministry.
Nor was John a respecter of persons or rank. He had an
intimidating personality. For that reason the upper class folk rejected both he
and his message. You can read about that in Luke 7:29.
Yet, John gathered a respectable following. He attracted
many hearers among the lower class, many of whom received baptism by his hands.
John even drew a group of disciples around him, which is significant for two
reasons. First, some of these disciples later became disciples of our Lord.
Secondly, a number of people began to think of John himself as being the long
expected Messiah. For that reason John's gospel felt obliged to specifically
point out "There was a man sent from God whose name was John, He came for
testimony to bear witness to the light that all might believe through him. He
was not the light, but he came to bear witness to the light.
What drew people to John and his message? Well, John was
far-fetched. His austere life style was a compelling reason to listen to him
and perhaps his strange ways convinced some people to follow him. I think many
thought he was Elijah the prophet who returned. But there was more to John than
simply a bizarre strange life. John understood that God was about to do
something that would shake the foundations of the earth and he needed to
prepare the way for that event. He did this in basically three ways...
1. John lived a godly
life.
2. John challenged the
people's sins.
3. John pointed the way to Christ.
______________________
A traditional accounting of the number of "senses" the human body
registers is five: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. We now know there are
between 9 and 21 actual senses, depending on who's counting. But still there
are five main ones, and two biggies in the five: sight and sound.
Even those of us with poor vision and tin ears still rely
heavily on sight and sound to get around. Taste and touch are less obviously
used, but absolutely necessary. Our sense of touch keeps us from
absent-mindedly leaning on a red hot burner or petting a puppy with the
disposition of a boxer. Sight, sound, touch, taste -- they are the four senses
that give us crucial information and safely connect us to our
environment.
Of all the senses, whether in the top 5 or all 21, the sense
of smell usually gets short shrift. Mostly we notice its presence when we wish
we didn't have it. When we are cleaning out the diaper pail. Or giving the
skunk-adorned dog a bath. Or driving home the eighth-grade basketball team.
For most of us the first thought we have about our
sense of smell is . . . it stinks. Nasty odors tighten our stomachs and ruin
our days. But our sense of smell offers us a lot more than obnoxious odors.
Olfactory memories are among the most personal and poignant our brain can
produce. Not just those sweat socks that send you back to your junior high
locker room. Not just that foul stench that lets you know the milk has gone
bad. There are a thousand other smells filed away in our minds and hearts and
souls that trigger deep responses.
Cooking show chefs are always bemoaning the fact that there
is no such thing as "smell-o-vision." All restaurants that advertize
on tv would agree. "Foodies" know that the single most attractive,
addictive sense is that of smell.
We just finished getting rid of the Thanksgiving leftovers
and, by the time we've made turkey sandwiches, turkey casserole, and turkey
soup, we realize this thing is just an overgrown chicken. So why do we bother
with it?
It's the smell. Turkeys have to cook for along time. They
torture us with their smell for hours on end. Same thing goes with good
barbecue. Or a big old pot roast. The smell entices and entrances over hours of
cooking.
There are distinctive aromas that are attached to Advent...
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A Friend and a Savior
William Saroyan has a delightful story that he tells of the
poor, little orphan boy standing amidst a long line of men and women queued up
in the front of a movie house. A friend passed and asked: "Why are you
standing here? You haven't got the fifty cents admission charge."
"I'm not going to the movies," the boy replied.
"Then why are you standing in line?" asked the
friend.
"I'm standing in line," answered the boy, "because I'm lonely,
and I like people." Christ came into this lonely world as a friend as well
as a Savior. Why can't you and I enter someone's loneliness this Christmas?
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A John the Baptist Christmas Card
I love receiving Christmas cards. I especially like
Christmas cards with good Christian artwork on the cover. The lion with the
lamb; the three wise men and the message, "Wise Men Still Seek Him;"
the Madonna and child; or the star piercing the darkness over stable and
manger; all are beautiful depictions of the Christmas story. Again, I am
positive that as a group we have all perused thousands of Christmas cards like
these. Yet I do not recall ever receiving one with John the Baptist preaching
in the desert. Do you? I can picture it in my mind: a card front marred by the
dead, barren wilderness of Judea out by the Jordan River, with this animated,
prophetic figure as the focal point. But I have never read one that even
closely resembles such a scene. Have you?
John the Baptist is totally inappropriate for the way we
celebrate Christmas. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus as Matthew and Luke
report that holy night many years ago. Mary, Joseph, angels, manger, shepherds,
wise men; a child is born unto us. Glory to God in the highest! That is what
Christmas is all about. Jesus is the reason for the season. So we honor sweet,
little Jesus boy, get warm fuzzies, and hug our family members. What does John
the Baptist have do with Christmas?
For Mark, everything. Instead of Bethlehem and choirs of
angels, he begins the story of Jesus' coming with a prophet blaring and
baptizing in the wilderness of Judea. In so doing, he adds a new figure to the
good news about the incarnation and coming of the Christ. It is John the
Baptist. Throughout the centuries the church has recognized Mark's unique
contribution through its observance of Advent in preparation for the
celebration of Christmas.
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Humble Beginnings
I am told that in Minnesota you can step across the
headwaters of the Mississippi River. It is no more than a tiny stream. It is
amazing to me that a river so mighty can begin in such an inconspicuous way.
Perhaps we have a similar experience as we read the first
chapter to the Gospel of Mark. The message of Christ has raised up nations and
brought them low, launched and defeated armies, started large social movements
and destroyed others. Think of all that has been done in the name of Jesus
Christ and how inconspicuously the Gospel begins according to Mark. Here we
find none of the thunderous poetry used by John to describe the pre-existent
Christ. We dream no dreams and no angels visit with us. Caesar Augustus and
Herod seem pretty far away. No excuse here for Christmas trees or mob-ridden
malls or long hours putting together services of lessons and carols--thank God!
All Mark offers to us is John the Baptist, Martha Stewart's worst nightmare,
smelling like a camel and calling people to change their ways.
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May Christ Be Born In You
Sue Monk Kidd, in one of her books, recalls her youth and
how she would prepare for Christmas. In early December, she would sit by the
wooden nativity set clustered under their Christmas tree and think over the
last year of her life. She would think deeply about Christmas and the coming of
Jesus.
She remembers, one time, visiting a monastery. It was a
couple of weeks before Christmas. As she passed a monk walking outside, she
greeted him with, "Merry Christmas." The monk's response caught her
off guard a bit. "May Christ be born in you," he replied.
His words seemed strange and peculiar at the time. What did
he mean, "May Christ be born in you?" At the time she was unsure of
what he meant, but now all these years later, sitting beside the Christmas
tree, she felt the impact of his words. She discovered that Advent is a time of
spiritual preparation. It is also a time of transformation. It is
"discovering our soul and letting Christ be born from the waiting
heart."
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Break Free From the Scrooge Syndrome
Each year, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, a great
number of people find delight in the marvelous story written by Charles
Dickens: A Christmas Carol. There is something in the story that lures us back
to it year after year; we never seem to grow tired of hearing its message. The
main character in the story is a surly old man named Scrooge, who lives a
miserly existence. He sees no benefit in being generous with the poor, or even
providing a living wage to dedicated workers. He clutches onto his money and
despises the thought of parting with any of it. But it is not only his money
that Scrooge withholds from others, it is his entire being. He withholds love
and kindness, he withholds warmth and friendship. Then, one night, Scrooge
undergoes a profound crisis. He sees himself through the eyes of others. He has
a vivid vision of his past; and then his present. But what is most frightful to
him - what shakes him to the core of his being - is when he is granted the
opportunity of a lifetime. He is allowed to witness his future. But his future
proves to be so dark and frightening, that it prompts within him a dramatic
change. He undergoes a radical transformation and becomes an entirely new
person. Rather than being cold and indifferent to people, he becomes generous
and compassionate.
It is a heart-warming story. But more than that, it is a
hopeful story. It provides us with the hope that we too can make needed changes
in our lives. We can break free from the ruts we have burrowed, and the
negative behaviors we have cultivated. We can become kind and compassionate,
humble and hospitable, joyful and generous.
I have never read anything which suggests this, but I wonder
if the story of John the Baptist influenced Dickens and served as an impetus in
his creation of A Christmas Carol?
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True repentance is to cease from sin.
Ambrose of Milan
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Repentance
When a man undertakes to repent toward his fellowmen, it is repenting straight
up a precipice; when he repents toward law, it is repenting into the
crocodile's jaws; when he repents toward public sentiment, it is throwing
himself into a thicket of brambles and thorns; but when he repents toward God,
he repents toward all love and delicacy. God receives the soul as the sea the
bather, to return it again, purer and whiter than he took it.
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Repentance
True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin
most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love.
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Recognizing our Need to Repent
One critic said he had gone to many churches and heard the preacher say, "Don't try to impress God with your works" or "Don't attempt to please God with your merits" or "Don't try to keep the rules and regulations and thus win your way." He looked around at nearly slumbering collections of utterly casual Christians and wondered, "Who's trying?"
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Recognizing our Need to Repent
There is so much noise in the world today. There are so many
voices competing for our attention. If you want to be heard, you almost have to
shout.
I have read that during a typical lunch hour at the
University of California at Berkeley, spokesmen for a dozen different causes
can be found on the plaza, trying to outshoot one another. One day a lone
figure sat down defiantly in the middle of the crowd and held up a sign which
said, "SILENT PROTEST." Someone tapped him on the shoulder and asked,
"What are you protesting?" The defiant figure held up another sign
which said simply, "NOISE."
That experience reminds me of the Salvation Army lassie who was informed by a policeman that a local ordinance would prevent her from ringing her bells to invite contributions. But such a crude law could not stop such an inventive woman. The next day she did a brisker business than ever as she waved one sign and then another in the air.
