Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near

 

The Gospel today comes from the Gospel according to John (1:6-8. 19-28) In his preface to the Gospel, John the Evangelist speaks about the one who comes as a witness (bearer of testimony). The purpose of this witness is to point out the Light of the world.  When this Light comes, it will bring mankind out of the darkness of sin. John the Baptist is the witness. Being a witness does not come without a price!

Who was John the Baptist? Apart from Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, John the Baptist is probably in the top five (5) of the most theological significant figures in the Gospels. As was the case with Jesus, his birth was recorded. His entrance into the world was marked by angelic proclamations and divine intervention. (Gospel of Luke), John the Baptist is clearly a pivotal figure in the salvation history of God. When asked about his identity, John replied that he was not the messiah, or a prophet announcing the messiah, or one such as Elijah, or the prophet, Moses. Rather, John identifies himself as the prophetic voice: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “make straight the way of the Lord.” (Isaiah)

John the Baptist was the messenger for the coming Messiah. His central theme of preaching was, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near.” His preaching did not come without sacrifice. To be an ambassador of Christ, you will die for the Truth. John the Baptist in simple term was not a “yes-man.”  He willingly confronted the hypocrisy of the religious establishment. He did not hesitate to expose the immorality of Herod and accepted to die a martyr’s death than compromise his convictions.

How are we preparing for the Lord to make inroads in our lives, into our hearts this Advent? Are we hearing the voice of God in our times? Do we accept the Messenger of Truth, or are we listening to popular opinions, theological errors or fake news? 

Each one of us who has heard the words of the Gospels have seen the importance to be a witness to Christ. Like John, God calls us to bear witness to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the one who was born in a manger under the star of Bethlehem, the one who lives among us in the Eucharist, and the one who will come again in his glorious reign as the King of Kings.  In this, there is no greater witness to the truth of God’s work of salvation. It is my prayer that we begin to hear again, the voice crying out in the wilderness.

 

St. John the Baptist, pray for us!

 

Bernard of Clairvaux

 

A little like John.

      In this weeks Gospel Mark 1:1-8 we find John the Baptist performing Baptism’s in the river of Jordan.  John’s role was to prepare the world for Jesus. He performed these  baptisms for the people all over Judea. It was their chance to repent and clear up all their old sins. John was laying down the foundation for Jesus to build his ministry upon. It was John who explained that although he baptized with water, Jesus was going to be baptizing with the Holy Ghost.  I often wonder what it must have been like back then to hear someone speak about Jesus. What It must have been like to hear someone say that they are unfit to untie the sandals of Jesus. That's what John the Baptist said. Thats quite an introduction.  Luckily, Jesus didn’t disappoint.  Today, baptisms take place a little different because of covid but at least they still happening. At least we are still introducing more people to Jesus.  Have you done your part in bringing people to Jesus? Do you  actively introduce people Jesus.? The truth is, as a believer you always represent Jesus in some way. We represent Jesus when we open our mouths and speak about him. We represent Jesus how speak about our enemies. We represent Jesus  when we choose not to gossip and partake in the nonsense of the world.    As a believer, we are watched. Our actions and reactions are on display for the world to see and they want to know how we live. The world wants to know how we can manage to keep the faith and believe even when it seems like the whole world is going in a different direction.  As followers of Christ a lot of our friends and family look to us for guidance (whether they say it or not). They look at us to see if our belief is real.  Do we really have the faith we claim to have?   In some ways we are no different than John in the river. Introducing people to the Christian life, showing people that asking for forgiveness of sins and accepting Jesus into your life can be change everything. 
 
       I find that one of the most beautiful aspects of being a believer is that God’s Grace is always available. There is never a right or wrong time. God is ready when you are.  Whatever happened last month, last year or even yesterday does not matter. You can turn it all around with a decision to believe. It can start with a decision to drop all of your past sins in the hands of Jesus and begin living a different life.  John the Baptist promised that Jesus was coming, and he was going to baptize the world with the Holy Ghost. Imagine being immersed in the spirit of the Holy Ghost. Imagine what every minute of everyday must feel like being bathed in the power of the Holy Ghost. That is what Jesus wants for us. That is what Jesus died on the cross for.  Jesus came, lived, was tortured, and died for our salvation. He died so we didn’t have to live in sin. As a believer I feel that I owe it to him to bring more people to into our church. I think we can all be a little like John the Baptist. We can all  introduce as many people to Christ as possible. I’m not telling you to stand on a corner and preach. I’m asking you to   let people see Christ through you.  I’m asking you to be an example of what Christ can do.  Let them see Christ through your behavior, your language, your love of others and most importantly, the way you love of Jesus.