The Spirit of Advent

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:39-45.

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

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Reflection

The first week reminded us of Christ's coming. The second, introduced to us His precursor in John the Baptist. The third week gave us a glimpse of the promise of the Spirit from Christ in John's preaching. This fourth week's Gospel reading presents to us the Spirit as the main mover behind the coming of Jesus.

It was the Spirit who moved Mary to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and the same Spirit who moved Elizabeth to sing praises for the mother of the Christ: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." But above all, it was by the power of the Spirit that the Word was made flesh. The Spirit of Advent is the spirit of repentance, the spirit of expectation, but also the spirit of joy!

The waiting is about to be concluded. Many have been moved in preparing for the coming of the Savior. John leaped in the womb. Elizabeth sang her song. Mary was made the first apostle. In all these things we join the Church in singing her praises of blessings, as we too are filled with the Spirit of Advent, a Church pregnant with expectant joy!

Leveling of Expectations

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 3:10-18.

The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.

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Reflection

John the Baptist should be the patron of those who call themselves "social media influencers" today. He knew how to make things viral. He built up a hype around the Christ. He knew how to get his message across and people were wanting for more.

But he was also exacting. He upheld the morality expected from every good Jew. And he was also humble. He denied that he is the Christ and admitted the lack of his ministry. For this he was faithful to his mission. His mission was to exhort everyone and to introduce them to the good news of salvation.

Advent is also about us listening to our John the Baptist's and becoming John the Baptist to others. Not everyone has the talent, the looks, or the resources to become a social media influencer today. But everyone baptized has not only been baptized with water but also the Spirit. It is the Spirit that sets us afire and makes us level our expectation of the Christ. Let us allow the Spirit of Advent to raise us up to the expectations of Christ and lead others to do the same.

The Repentance Preached by John

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 3:1-6.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

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Reflection

The second Sunday of Advent introduces to us the precursor of the Redeemer, one who prepares the way of the Lord, and his message that paves the Lord's way. John the son of Zechariah is called the Baptist because of the baptism of repentance that he preached. He knows the Lord is coming and He is tasked to prepare for it.

Repentance is the preparation required from those who wait for the Lord. It is the straightening of what was skewered by sin. Every valley of ignorance will be filled and every mountain of pride be laid low. All flesh will see the salvation of God because God Himself would make Himself known to all men. Everyone will know God.

In the same way that the Gospel situates John's preaching during the temporal reigns of Tiberius, Pilate, Herod, Philip and Lysanias, we are also challenged to repent in our concrete life situations. Who and what things still rule over us? What are our favorite sins that we allow to enslave us? Repentance is not just lip service to change. It is a concrete change, an about-face from all sin. Advent invites us to repent and so open and free ourselves to the knowledge that is to come with Christ.