During this time of advent we hear a lot from the Prophet
Isaiah. We can consider his writings to be the most profound
when speaking about the future Messiah. It’s almost as if he
personally knows the One of whom he is speaking. For instance,
in today’s first reading we hear the famous prophecy of the
future Messiah-king. Notice the connection to the line of King
David – the stump of Jesse and the spirit of the Lord – the
spirit of God given to individuals to enable them to fulfill
missions otherwise beyond their control. He then goes on to list
the virtues of the king – one who will be an example of
excellence, favoring the weak and the poor. And finally, for
Isaiah, perfect justice leads to perfect peace; depicted here as
a return to paradise.
Centuries pass since the time of Isaiah and his divine
predictions. Hope was seemingly lost for the Israelite people.
Until we hear “a voice of one crying out in the desert, prepare
the way of the Lord, make straight his paths!” John the Baptist
was Israel’s biggest sensation since the Prophet Elijah – the
one who was able to call down fire from heaven and make the
skies bring forth rain at his word – since the time of the
prophecies of the coming Messiah announced from afar. John
appears as the dividing line between the two Testaments of
Sacred Scripture – the Old and the New. As St. Augustine
comments:
“[H]e is the personification of antiquity and the announcement
of new times. As representing antiquity, he was born to elderly
parents. As one who is a harbinger of new times, he shows that
he has been a prophet from his mother’s womb…John is called ‘the
prophet of the Most High,’ because his mission is to go before
the Lord to prepare his ways, teaching the knowledge of
salvation to his people.”
He was not something you
would see everyday and people were flocking to him. They wanted
to listen to him, to catch a glimpse of him, and learn from him.
He was filled with divine favor, his proclamation of repentance
sounded much like a call of justice from the Lord and certainly
he was a model of virtue. Given the character of the Baptist,
the purpose of his mission and the prophecy of Isaiah in our
first reading, it is no wonder that many of the people that came
to him thought that he might be the one – the Messiah. He
rebukes this line of thought in his own words – “the one who is
coming after me is mightier that I. I am not worthy to carry his
sandals.” His message is perfectly clear – “repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand!” This message is his entire life;
his whole being is defined by Jesus and his role as precursor of
the Messiah.
In our own lives as
Christians, we can learn from him. First of all, advent is a
time to hear the message of the Baptist – “repent and prepare
the way of the Lord.” Each and every day during this holy season
– and throughout our lives – is an opportunity to draw closer to
Jesus and develop a personal and living friendship with Him.
Sin, fear, lack of compassion, indifference to matters of the
soul, mediocrity and so on – these things, however are a
hindrance, obstacles to drawing closer to the Heart of Christ.
That is why John’s message of repentance is so important. We
live in a very superficial world that fails to take time to
reflect upon that which is truly important. We tend to fill up
our lives with all sorts of activities – including work, sports,
academics – and never slow down and settle our hearts, to
reflect, pray and listen to the voice God trying to pierce
through all the distractions we have built up around us. Why do
we do this? Perhaps we are afraid of listening to God? Maybe we
are afraid of what He may have to say to us? Maybe by looking at
those obstacles, those hindrances to growing closer to Jesus
found in our own hearts, we are afraid of what we might find?
But if that is the case then we miss the meaning of the calling
of the Baptist. His mission was to prepare a people ready to
greet the Savior – a holy people, a people with hearts open to
the Lord. If we are uncomfortable with repentance then we miss
the meaning of life itself. What we learn from the Baptist,
then, is that repentance is not finger-wagging or a moralistic
ultimatum by which we are scared into holiness. No, he teaches
us that we have to pay attention to the call of repentance
because through its grace we are brought to a closer friendship
with Jesus. By making a genuine examination of conscience every
night and by receiving the grace of healing and forgiveness
through the Sacrament of Penance, Jesus removes those
hindrances, those obstacles to His love, He lifts us up from our
sins and sets us on the path to interior freedom – freedom of
the heart – and we get a glimpse of heaven. The path of interior
freedom is becoming, little by little, the men and women God has
created us to be – we become fully human.
It is by going to the
wilderness of our hearts where we find the abiding presence of
God within. There we find the Baptist crying out to us –
“repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” The voice of John
the Baptist demands that we be prepared for the coming of the
Lord; that we be prepared for the approaching salvation. May our
prayer of repentance throughout this holy season echo that of
today’s opening prayer of the Mass: God of power and mercy, open
our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from
receiving Christ with joy, so that we might share his wisdom and
become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
