10 December, 2023 | 2nd Sunday in Advent
Gospel Mk 1:1-8
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
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.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Reflections:
One of our human tendencies is to desire to be someone important, to be recognised and acknowledged by others. From the gospel of today we come to know that John the Baptist was a powerful man from the fact that he had many followers. In fact in Matthew 11:11, Jesus said of him, “Among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist.” And yet, amidst the throng that followed and revered him, he proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.” What humility! And in turn, the one John spoke about—Jesus, the Messiah, is tender hearted, gentle and humble as the first reading of today says, “He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom.” St Paul says in Philippians 2:8, “He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death—even death of the cross.” Today we are called to imitate John the Baptist and point Jesus out to others and make him the central focus of our life and service.
Activity:
During the course of the day, let us find some way to be of service to someone in need without expecting anything in return.
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