Meet John the Baptist

By REV. JOHN P. ROSSON- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

The season of Advent has been celebrated in the Church probably since the fourth century. The word "Advent" comes from the Latin "adventus," a word used in ancient times to describe the arrival or presence of a king who had come to visit a part of his kingdom. The Church adopted this word as fitting for the season that has now begun.

Advent is a period of waiting and preparation for the Lord's coming, not only in the celebration of Christ's birth - the coming of Emmanuel, God-with-us - but also the second coming of Christ on the last day.

The beginning of Advent tells us of the cry of John the Baptist, echoing the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Prepare the way of the Lord, straighten His paths."

We all know that December is consumed with all sorts of preparation, from decorating doorways to financial end-of-year arrangements. December is perhaps the most hectic month of the year. December has too much preparing.

John the Baptist appears at the beginning of Mark's Gospel. He appears as a lion in the desert. Before the appearance of John, the voice of prophecy had been silent for some 300 years.

The baptist's garments are like those of the prophet Elijah. There is a fierce attractiveness in the baptist: People come to listen to John, the camel-hair-clad preacher. Those who hear John change their lives.

We can be prone to settling into habitual ways of seeing and living life. We can tend to settle for what is familiar and comfortable and protect ourselves from being disturbed or challenged.

Our faith can become dry and sterile; the connection between faith and life can be lost. There is a nagging emptiness at the heart of life, a kind of absence or dissatisfaction or even loneliness. This can be difficult to acknowledge, especially in the days leading up to Christmas.

Advent can be a time to see how distracted and disconnected we have become.

It is the uncomfortable voices that we need to listen to most. Who or what in our lives is calling from the wilderness? What are the voices within us that cry out for change and seek hope?

In the appearance of John in the wilderness, the beginning of the Good News starts with a voice - and what a voice! That Wilderness Voice challenges us this Advent. How do we respond?

Sometimes, in making a phone call, we hear a recorded message: "Please wait while we try to connect you." John the Baptist, John the Voice, might help us to connect with the meaning of all our preparation.

(Father Rosson is pastor of St. Mary's/Our Lady of the Lake parish in Cooperstown.)

Once again, Rev. John Rosson offers a series of reflections for Advent; his theme this year is those who "coach" us through the season.[[In-content Ad]]