On the Second Sunday of Advent

Baruch 5:1-9
Psalm 126:1-6
Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
Luke 3:1-6

Our reading today from the Gospel of St. Luke centers on John the Baptist as “the voice of one crying out in the desert” in fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah (40:3). To offer some background, Isaiah is writing the Jewish people a promise of consolation and hope which will follow their captivity in Babylon. This parallels the context of our first reading from the fifth chapter of Baruch which offers the comforting reminder that, while in exile, Jerusalem is remembered by God.

Today’s readings speak to the deliverance offered to Jerusalem (and through them, the world), for the true end of their exile was not to be found in leaving Babylon, rebuilding their city, or in any material thing, but in Christ. It is in God coming to meet His people in the person of His Son that the good news of our emancipation resides, and our salvation is seen.

The first advent of our Lord, in the fullness of time, arrived after the coming of our Lord’s precursor, one who would “make straight” the way for people to find Jesus. To ensure his realization of the prophecy, the forerunner of our Lord was equipped for the task. We see this occur at the Visitation when “John was ‘filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb’ by Christ Himself” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 717). So arrayed by the Holy Spirit at the hands of the preborn Jesus, the Baptist was made the greatest born of woman (Matthew 11:11), a “burning and shining lamp” (John 5:35), and “more than a prophet” (Luke 7:26). It is in John that the Holy Spirit “concludes his speaking through the prophets” (CCC 719), bringing all preparation for the Messiah to an end.

During John’s ministry, much like Jesus’, his identity was questioned. When confronted by the priests, he denied messiahship, as well as being Elijah or the Prophet. 

Rather than make false claims, he confesses: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert. Make straight the way of the Lord’” (John 1:23).

One cannot help but notice the close relationship between his very identity and the task ahead of him.

REFLECT ON THIS:

• How closely do we align our very being with the task ahead of us?
• How consumed are we, in our own way and within our state in life, by answering the call to “make straight” the way for people to find Jesus?

Find more Advent Reflections here.

Jason Whitehead was received into the Catholic Church in 2012 and subsequently received a master’s degree in Theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary.  He began working for the Diocese of Fort Worth in 2014 and currently serves as Department Director of Evangelization and Catechesis. Find his regular columns for the North Texas Catholic here.