SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT, YR B
Is 40:1-5,9-11; Ps 85
2Pt 3:8; Mk 1:1-8
AN INVITATION FROM THE DESERT
The gospel for the second Sunday of Advent is from Mk 1:1-8. It begins with a prophetic message of God coming to save his people. This salvation will be preceded by his prophet. But what is significant is that John the Baptist, who is the prophet spoken of, appears in the desert preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins. And all people went out to him.
The mention of the desert is very important in this text in the context of advent for a number of reasons.
The first is that, the desert was the passage from slavery to freedom. The Jews wondered through the desert for 40 years before they got to the promise land. The invitation of John the Baptist is an invitation to return to the Lord. This call from the desert is a call for all of us to get up and return to the Lord. To make our way towards him, no matter what it takes.
Secondly, the desert was a place where they sinned but significantly was a place where they were restored to their relationship with God. Having stayed in Egypt for 400 years they left largely as practical pagans: they wanted a god they can see as they saw in Egypt (Exd. 32:1), they complained against God (Exd 16:3; Num 11:1-6). For 40 years through the desert, they learned how to serve the Lord. All their time was a time focused on the devotion, service and a restoration of a relationship to the Lord. We must let go of any worldly gods in our lives. We are also called to use this advent to restore our relationship with God, to be more devoted and focused on him.
Thirdly, the desert is not a permanent place. Anyone who finds himself in the desert dreams of when the experience will end. For the Israelites, it was a place where they became a nation. The invitation then is not for us to come to remain in the desert but to come to a place where God will find us and make us his own once more.
The Message of John
From the gospel of today we are not told the content of the proclamation of John the Baptist except what he said about Jesus. So, what really was the message?
He would certainly have said something. But from the text it seemed the reason why people were going out to him has more to do with his appearance than what he said. It was his own life that made the people go to him. We read that he appeared (Mk 1:4). The focus then was on his appearance and not necessarily his words.
In order to lead the people to the Lord, he himself went out into the silence and solitude of the desert to seek and to be found by the Lord. He went to awaken in his own heart, the potential to recognise the Lord’s voice and presence.
In the desert there is no entertainment, economic activity, no football matches, no TV shows; in the desert there is only the consciousness of what is essential for survival. We may not be able to go to the desert, and certainly that is not what we are being asked to do, but we can create the atmosphere of silence and solitude, an attitude of focusing totally on God who alone should be loved and served.
We are called to move away from all the non-essentials so that we hear the Lord’s voice once more. So that he can forgive us and wash us of all that is unholy. Remember that when John went to “his Desert” that was when he was able to attract others to the Lord. In fact he didn’t need to speak. He just had to pursue fellowship with God and others got attracted. Holiness is infectious. A sincere and genuine relationship with the Lord is an attractive attitude. This is the call from the desert. Do you have the courage to respond?
Why must we respond?
“One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thong of his sandals…he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit” (M 1:7-8). We must go to the desert because Jesus is coming. Jesus, he who is greater and more important than all.
There is nothing we can do to become worthy of him. In fact, it is Jesus who makes us worthy.
“Lord grant me the grace to cultivate that silence that makes me recognise always and everywhere. Make me your child again. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may appear in a way that gives glory to your name”.
God bless you.
By Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
