Second Sunday of Advent:

St. Mark begins his Gospel not with an account of Jesus’ infancy, but rather with a collection of Old Testament prophecies: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”  The Evangelist here reminds us that God promised to send a messenger to bring His people to the promised land (Exod. 23), that the New Exodus will not happen until a messenger comes to prepare the way and purify (Mal. 3), and that this will be announced by a voice of one crying in the desert (Isa. 40). St. Mark leaves no doubt that St. John the Baptist is he who cries in the desert, and St. John the Evangelist cites him even as saying, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert” (John 1). What is it, then, that we are preparing for? Yes, the Jewish people were preparing for the coming of the Messiah. However, thanks be to God, Christ has come; what more need we do now, besides commemorating His coming at Christmas?

We prepare for the threefold coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at this time: past, present, and future. We first celebrate that the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14) on that Christmas day so many years ago. We give thanks to God that He so humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:7) so that we may no more live in exile from God, but that we may be reconciled with Him. Jesus Christ, Son of God and Redeemer of the world, was born so that both you and I, both man and woman, both Jew and Gentile might be freed from the shackles of sin and brought to the fullness of life, life everlasting.

Second, we prepare for the coming of Christ into our innermost selves. Advent is a season where the Church becomes our messenger, telling each and every one of us to prepare the path of the Lord. We must look inwardly, closely, at our hearts and examine: what is there in my heart that is proving an obstacle to Christ? After this first week of Advent, what can we do that will keep our eyes firmly set on Christ’s spiritual coming into our hearts this Christmas? You might consider prayerfully reflecting on Mark 1:1-15, kneeling before the altar of the Lord and asking for the grace to avoid evil and to do good, such that you may allow His Divine love to pierce deeper into your soul. Each morning, offer the day as a sacrifice to God: Lord, this morning, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your Mother, I offer to You all my thoughts, words, actions, prayers, and sufferings of this day. I do so in union with Your most precious Blood, offered on altars throughout the world. Grant me the grace to welcome You into my innermost soul. Through the example of St. John the Baptist, may I prepare my heart for Your coming at Christmas.

Thirdly, we await the second coming. St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes, At the first coming He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At His second coming He will be clothed in light as in a garment. In the first coming He endured the cross, despising the shame; in the second coming He will be in glory, escorted by an army of angels. Jesus Christ will come again; He will come from heaven; He will come in glory; He will make all things new.

Let us remember what we are aiming for! On this, our earthly pilgrimage, we are in the continual process of preparing the way of the Lord. Especially in this Advent season, let us recall our final end – the beatific vision, being blest forever with the sight of God’s glory – and so be inspired to remove the sinful obstacles in Christ’s path and welcome the Lord into our lives. Come, Lord Jesus; our hearts desire after Thee!