This passage from Mathew’s Gospel evokes many conflicting emotions.
First, there is great joy in the anticipation of the coming of our Lord and Savior! Second, there is a call to action, a call to change our ways and repent. When we think of Advent, we consider it a time of waiting, hope, and anticipation. This is the time that we prepare for the birth of Christ. We focus on the joy of the birth of Christ and think about what God still has in store for us. However, I don’t think we do enough reflecting on what God is asking us to do. He wants us to change our ways and change is not always easy. In this reflection, let me discuss the joy of the coming of the Lord and the call to action that John is loudly proclaiming to each and every one of us
Joy Joy is the easy part of John’s message. John the Baptist preaches, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” and “Prepare the way of the Lord.” The believers came to John to be baptized. John tells them – and us, “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals.” This really drives home the magnitude of what is happened on Christmas Day. God loves us so much that He sent us His only Son with the promise of eternal life. The excitement of Christmas should be about God’s everlasting love for us. The joy of Christmas is about what God still has in store for us. Take a moment to think about what Christmas is really about. Sometimes we get so caught up in all of the hustle and bustle of buying gifts, decorating the house, and preparing the food that we forget about the true meaning of Christmas. How can we not be excited with anticipation of the coming of the Lord?
A Call to Action The biggest message from this passage is that we must repent and change our ways. We are reminded that not only are we preparing for Christ’s birth, but we are also preparing for when Jesus will come again. John tells us that Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit. God is giving us the tools to be the person that He wants each one of us to be. He will walk with us through our journeys, but we must follow Him all the days of our lives on earth. It may be difficult at times to follow Christ, but we must change our ways, pick up our crosses, and follow Him. Every time we say the Nicene Creed at Mass, I always think of the line that says “He is coming to judge the living and the dead.” This reminds me that I must follow Him as best I can and do what He asks of me. I hope it means the same to you. We will make mistakes along the way, but we must pick ourselves up and strive to do the right thing the next time.
It is not always easy to be a follower of Christ, especially in the secular times in which we live today, but we must have the strength to buck the trend and defend our beliefs. It’s a lot easier to go with the flow and not make waves. It is much harder defend our beliefs on many of the teachings of the Church. We must stand for life, help the poor, and give of ourselves for the sake of others. I always tell the Confirmation students whom I teach that they must learn to pray for others and not for their own needs. The reward of being a follower of Christ is worth any trials or hardships we may endure. In today’s Gospel passage, John tells us to repent and make ready the way of the Lord. This message is so powerful for all of us. We know what God calls us to do and now we must act and go forth in His Name. God has chosen each of us for a reason. If we don’t fulfill God’s plan, then there is something that won’t get done because we were meant to do it.
A few weeks back, we heard the story of Jesus curing the ten lepers, yet there was only one who came back to Jesus to thank Him. When Father Stan gave his homily, I wondered if I would be the one to come to Jesus to thank Him. Father Stan reminded us it was not the religious ones who came to Jesus, but the nonbeliever. At that moment, Jesus promised him the Kingdom of God. Let us be the ones who turn to Him and do His will.
I pray that we all take some time during Advent to reflect and heed John’s call. We may not be like Mother Theresa and live a life of poverty with the poor in India, but, in a small way, we can all bring God’s love to the world. Please take some time during this Advent season to remember the true meaning of Christmas.