Lectionary readings: Isaiah 40:1-11 / Luke 1: 68-79 (The Song of Zechariah) / Acts 13:14b-26 / Luke 3:7-18
Let us pray: “Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching. Amen.” (Excerpt from today’s collect).
I have always thought of Advent as the “in between time.” Yes, the Christ has come, and yes he is already here, however, there is another yes – yes we still await his coming. Christ came 2000 years ago, but we are still looking for the presence and hearing the stories from the bible that hold the promise of a mighty Savior.
The season of Advent is that time when we hear more about this waiting and hoping. So we create symbols that speaks about this expectation. In the beginning of Advent we start lighting the candles of the Advent wreath to recognize that we are not the only ones waiting for Christ to come and transform our lives.
Each candle represents one of the four major characters in God’s incarnation.
On the first Sunday the candle lit represents the angelic presence of God in our lives. Specifically it represents the Archangel Gabriel who challenges Mary. One of the most important sentences for me is: “Fear not!” This is often how angels greet us.
The second candle represents Prophecy. This year, it was the Prophet Isaiah, and calling us to remember how many centuries people waited for this child, the God-child. Prophecy was one of the ways God chose to speak to his people. In our day we are called to be prophets of God; to speak against injustice and bring words of hope.
The third candle (for the Gaudete Sunday) represents the mother of Jesus, the young Mary. This is the candle of acceptance; Mary is the person who said “Yes” when all things were telling her to say “NO.” She is the perfect symbol of FAITH. In her body God found a house, in her arms God found love.
The candle we lit this morning reflects today’s Gospel about John of the Baptist. And he is the image we will focus on in today’s meditation.
And finally, the 5th central white candle represents the Mystery of our FAITH, the fragile God; Jesus. This one you will hear about on Christmas Day.
What do we know about St John the Baptist? What does our tradition teach us about him?
What comes to our minds when we hear the name John, the Baptist?
I made a list of what we have learned about John and of his work:
We know he was the cousin of Jesus and they probably grow up knowing each other. They were almost the same age. Just six months apart. Do we recall the encounter of Mary and Elizabeth, while pregnant? They were pregnant with Jesus and John. They didn’t live far from each other. In those days, in small villages, everybody knew everybody.
Mary probably came to visit her cousin Elizabeth and stayed for a few months. I wonder if Mary was there for the birth of John, the Baptist. It makes sense, since her cousin was of advanced age and probably would need help to manage the house in her last months of pregnancy. (On the other hand, was safe for Mary to be away from Nazareth, so people would not comment on her pregnancy while being engaged to Joseph.)
John was the son of a priest. His father received the news of his birth from an angel while censing the Temple of Jerusalem. John’s parents were very devoted people. God choose Zachariah and Elizabeth because they were people of prayer. God knew that John would be raised religious. What the Bible tells us is that once as an adult, he was able to identify the corruption of the leaders at the Temple of Jerusalem. His prophecy is to call religious people to repent and return to God. He was a reformer.
The Bible also tells us about his lifestyle. Some theologians suggest that he was a Nazirite. (In the Hebrew Bible, a nazirite or nazarite, (in Hebrew: נזיר, nazir), refers to one who voluntarily took a vow described in Numbers 6:1–21. "Nazarite" comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated".)
He was a bit radical in his lifestyle. He did not spend time worrying about his looks, or personal hygiene. He did not shave or cut his hair. He did not worry with shopping for clothing. He dressed in camel hair (note: unlike smaller pelts, no time need be spent sewing together small hides/pieces – with a camel you could take one hide, tie a belt around it and have a ready-made outfit). He did not even spend time hunting or gardening or harvesting. No shopping trips to Trader Joe’s for this Nazirite, although he managed to eat an all organic, local, grain-free diet.
His diet, in particular, was a sign of this commitment.
Do you remember when was the last time you changed your diet for religious purposes? Isn’t interesting how some of ones haven’t done fasting during penitential times of the year? Why does it matter? What do you think John the Baptist is trying to tell us with his lifestyle? With his diet?
The Bible also tell us about his movement. He was well known not in the place where he lived but also in far-away lands. The number of John’s disciples was large as Jesus’ group. But with one major difference. John preached about the Good News of God and didn’t point to himself as messiah. John knew that his ministry was “not about him” but was about revealing the true Messiah, that was Jesus.
Like Jesus and James, John is also mentioned in other sources besides the Biblical sources. His name is brought up in the 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who wrote about the History of the Jews. So, his teaching was influential and powerful in his time and society. That’s why he ends being killed. Because his preaching bothered the powerful of his time.
He was strong preacher. People would hear him carefully. He was such a strong preacher that the unlikely ones would come to him and ask “what should I do?”
In today’s Gospel, three times we see people coming to him and asking: "Teacher, What then should we do? They were: his followers, they were soldiers, tax collectors. And his message was clear: convert your hearts through kindness and love. Feed the hungry, help those in trouble, and give clothes to those in need. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day.
John the Baptist is considered the greatest prophet from the Bible. He is the one who sees with his own eyes the Prophecy from the Old Testament coming true. In him the Old and the New Testament meet. His function is clear; He calls the people to repentance. Repentance is always followed by “Conversion”.
The word Conversion has its roots in Greek and means: changing behavior, beginning a new moment in life. Without changing feelings there is no Conversion.
We have a few days to go before Christmas arrives. Let’s open our hearts for the words of John the Baptist and act in such way that we will prepare the way for the child-God, Jesus the Messiah. Amen.