Immerse ourselves in the spirit of Advent!
Immerse ourselves in the spirit of Advent!
On this, the Second Sunday of Advent, we are given the person of St. John the Baptist to ponder. The forerunner of Christ is indeed a gift for us. Our Lord Himself said that “among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). This is a wonderful compliment to give to St. John the Baptist.
St. John the Baptist had many good qualities but today let me point out two of them. First, his calling, and second his virtue.
John was great because he was the transition from the Old Testament Prophets to the New Testament. He serves as the bridge which prepared for the new life to come. This is a particular mission entrusted to St. John the Baptist. Thus, his calling is unique. His unique mission makes him truly great.
Alongside his calling, we can see his virtue. It is this gift of virtue that is worth thinking about so that we may be able to find in him someone we can imitate, someone we can mirror.
Humility is the particular virtue that highlighted the ministry of the Baptist. He was so humble that he saw himself as nothing other than a “voice of one crying out in the desert.” And the Word he spoke was Jesus.
John in the Gospel of Mark says that he was not even worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals (Mark 1:7). Although John the Baptist was followed by many and praised by many, he knew very well his mission: point out to Jesus, “He must increase and I must decrease” (John 3:30).
It is possible that many try to find honour and praise for oneself, especially when we feel we deserve all the credit. However, St. John the Baptist only sought praise for Jesus, nothing else.
The forerunner of Jesus is worth imitating. This season of Advent, is the suitable time for us to point others to Christ; to mirror John’s humility and to embark on our mission to reveal Christ to the world.
What better way to prepare ourselves than to immerse ourselves in the spirit of Advent. I would like to invite you to the events we will host at the parish: Advent Retreat with Peter Thompson, December 6 to 8; and “The Promise” with Michael Chiasson on December 14th.