My Sisters and Brothers:
The message and the mission of John the Baptist are always highlighted on both the Second and the Third Sundays of Advent. As the one chosen to announce the coming of Jesus, John warned the people they would need to change their lives in order to be prepared. And so he proclaimed: “Reform your lives! The reign of God is at hand!” (see Matthew 3:2).
John then invited the people to receive very visible and public baptisms of water, but he made it very clear such baptisms were meaningless without true inner conversion. He therefore told those seeking baptism they would need “to produce good fruit as evidence of their repentance” (see verse eight).
This admonition was particularly addressed to those Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to him for baptism, but who actually didn’t have genuine faith in their hearts. As Jesus would later do, John severely criticized such “religious people” who usually piously feigned devotion to God, but in fact had little or no true faith at all. John sternly rebuked such people as hypocrites, and he called them a “brood of vipers” (see verse seven).
Anyone could receive baptism, but the truly reformed would demonstrate their faith by the manner in which they lived their lives. The others, John very grimly proclaimed, would be “burned with unquenchable fire” (see verse twelve). As we once again journey through the season of Advent, and this renewed time of preparation, it might be wise for us to give special attention to these warnings!
And so, with the admonitions of John the Baptist in mind, we may wish to ask ourselves the following questions: (1) Does the Scriptural call to authenticity give us reason to be repentant during this season of Advent? (2) Do we have “external religion,” like many of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but little or no internal faith? (3) Do our “religious actions” come from our hearts, and are they truly meaningful? (4) Do we come to church every Sunday, profess ourselves to be Christians, but actually fail to practice true love for others, especially for those who are “different?” (5) Do we publicly pray the Our Father, but privately refuse to forgive the faults of those who have wronged us? (6) Do we tell others we are Christians, but then fail to live as true disciples of Jesus? Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, as I’m sure each of us could come up with many more related questions. So then, let’s do just that as we seek to ready ourselves for the coming of the Lord; let’s realistically examine our consciences during this sacred time of renewal and preparation!
As we continue to reform our lives and to prepare for the coming of God’s reign, let’s once again heed the words of John the Baptist. Let’s make any necessary changes in our lives, and let’s make ourselves completely ready for that “New Day” when “old and malevolent ways of doing things and of being” will forever pass away. Unlike those hypocritical “religious people” of old, such as many of those Pharisees and the Sadducees, may we always strive to have genuine faith in our hearts!
And as those who have been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, may our visible and public acts of devotion always be authentic reflections of who we truly are! My friends, the reign of God is at hand. Let’s live accordingly!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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