2nd Sunday of Advent (Year A) - 4 December
4th December 2022
2nd Sunday of Advent (Year A) - 4 December
“Him whom the Heavens cannot contain the womb of one woman bore.” - St Augustine of Hippo
A short reflection on today's Gospel by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J Sheen:
"John was a severe ascetic, moved by a deep conviction of sin in the world. The heart of his message to soldiers, public officials, farmers, and anyone else who would listen was 'Repent.' The first note of warning in the New Testament tells all men to change. The Sadducees must lay aside their worldliness, the Pharisees their hypocrisy and self-righteousness; all who come to Christ must repent.
"With the country under a Roman yoke, it would have been a more certain route to popularity for John to promise that the One Who was to come, the One Whom he announced, would be a political liberator. That would have been the way of men; but instead of a call to arms, John gave a call to reparation for sin. And those who claim descent from Abraham must not glory in it, because if God willed, He could raise up children of Abraham from the very stones.
"In all countries, when the head of a government wishes to visit another government, he sends messengers ‘before his face.’ So, John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of Christ, to announce the conditions of His reign and government. John, despite the prophecies that were made about him, disclaimed that he was the Messiah, and said that he was only: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness.’
"Even before he met the Messiah, Who was his own cousin, he announced the superiority of Christ. John considered himself unworthy to untie the shoes of Our Lord, but Our Lord would surpass him in humility as He would wash the feet of the Apostles. The greatness of John consisted in the fact that to him was given the privilege of running before the chariot of the King and saying, 'Christ has come.'
"John used symbols as well as words. The chief symbol of the washing away of sin was a cleansing by water. John had been baptising in the Jordan, as a token of repentance, but he knew that his baptism did not regenerate or quicken the dead soul. That is why he made a contrast between his baptism and the baptism that later on Christ Himself would confer; speaking of the latter, he said: ‘He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.’" (Life of Christ)
An Advent Prayer
God of hope, who brought love into this world, be the love that dwells between us. God of hope, who brought peace into this world, be the peace that dwells between us. God of hope, who brought joy into this world, be the joy that dwells between us. God of hope, the rock we stand upon, be the centre, the focus of our lives always and particularly this Advent time. Through Him who is our hope, our joy, our love, our peace in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen. 💖🙏💐