Make Way!
Advent's second Sunday
Dear Friends,
As you know, I love John the Baptist. Things are are never dull when he's around... and he's back this weekend!
We find reference to John the Baptist in the work of Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, but most of what we know about him comes from the canonical Gospels.
In the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we find John fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah: He is the "voice of one crying out in the desert..." in anticipation of God's return to rule his people.
One of the more dynamic translations of that prophecy runs thusly: "A shout goes up in the desert: Make way for the Lord! Clear a straight path for him!"
Make way for the Lord! Yes! That's what Advent is all about.
(Please watch this video. I can't get enough of it.)
Saint John the Baptist bringing the heat!
John calls the crowds to repentance. It's worth our while to see what that means.
The Greek word translated as repent is metanoia. The full sense of the word implies a change at the very center of one's being, and includes a change in one's way of life.
The Church makes John's exhortation her own this Advent: Repent!
The kind of life change we're called to is not just challenging - without Jesus it is impossible. Only with Jesus, who lived God's way of life perfectly and gives us the strength to follow him in faith, can we turn from our (self-seeking) ways to God's (self-giving) way.
Clear a straight path for our coming king!
I look forward to seeing you soon.
Christ's Peace,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
PS Here are our new Mass parts, the Missa de Angelis, again. We'll use them throughout the Advent and Christmas Seasons:
Kyrie
Gloria (Christmas only)
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
Preparing for Mass?
Check out this weekend's readings:
Second Sunday of Advent
