Presence

Lord, as I turn to you now in prayer, and look upon your face, I find my strength and my peace in you.

Gospel

John 1:6-8,19-28 NRSVue

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but he confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ ”

as the prophet Isaiah said.

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why, then, are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Gospel Reflection

There is so much we can learn from John the Baptist. He didn’t want fame, although he drew many people to him, both disciples and critics alike. (Not to mention that he has become one of the most famous figures in salvation history!) He didn’t let this inflate his ego though, and he always redirected the attention to Jesus, the true Light, of whom John simply tried to reflect. Maybe I can think of how I respond to both praise and criticism, and see if I can be a little bit more like the Baptist – unruffled by others’ opinions, in the secure knowledge of who he was, and who Jesus was. He knew he was nothing without Jesus and was ‘not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal’.

John also knew that his baptism was only preparatory, ‘with water’, but that it helped to prepare people to receive Jesus’ baptism, which was with the Holy Spirit. For each of us who have been baptised, the Holy Spirit dwells in us in a special way. He is there to lead, guide and inspire us. Let us be open to His powerful work in our hearts.

An Advent Reflection

JOURNEY

Our journey is our security.
Strange way of looking on life.
Normally we want our security to be
fixed in where we are, be it our house,
our family, our job, our loves,
our possessions.
Our journey roots them,
rather than the other way around.
We are people who come from God
and go back to God,
and what could be more certain,
mysterious or even
frightening than that?
Our faith journey is about
movement and flux. It is not static.
It is a space where time never stands still.
Our journey is God’s pilgrim promise:
that God, the Pilgrim from Heaven,
walks always with His pilgrim people on earth.

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, Advent is like a microcosm of the larger journey of life, a journey which ultimately brings me to you. Help me to remember that your Holy Spirit is always with me, like a compass, to help me find my way home. May I be secure in the knowledge of who I am, as a child of God, with a unique and beloved identity, just like John the Baptist. As I continue on my pilgrim way, help me to grow in the knowledge of the particular role and mission that you have given to me to fulfil, in order to grow in love for you and to bring others to know and love you also. Amen.