Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

This is the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of Isaiah, the prophet, “I am sending my messenger ahead of you to prepare your way. Let the people hear the voice calling in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, level his paths.”

So John began to baptize in the desert; he preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judea and all the people from the city of Jerusalem went out to John to confess their sins and be baptized by him in the river Jordan.

John was clothed in camel’s hair and wore a leather garment around his waist. His food was locusts and honey. He preached to the people saying, “After me comes one who is more powerful than I am; I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. As for me, I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandals.”

Reflection:

Our Gospel for today talks about the coming of the savior as what John the Baptist told all the people. John the Baptist was baptizing the people with water but the Son of God, our Savior will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist readies the people for the coming of God. He dedicated his life in service and dedication to the savior, a life without power nor greatness. We should be like John the Baptist, the one to prepare the way of the Lord, the one who waits patiently for His coming.
This season is the time of waiting and preparing. It is a simple reminder for us to trust and follow more deeply even if we do not know. Faith should be made stronger and believe in love that risks. We have to surrender everything to God who is to come in greatness. While waiting, we have to choose innocence and vulnerability.

This Advent Season, our task is for inclusion, prayer, and preparing the coming of the Mighty Savior through charity and abstinence from world pleasure. To know that God is great and powerful, we have to be innocent and vulnerable. To live without greatness and power is to live an innocent life; we should be powerless and humble. We have to be in God, with God, and of God.

In this time of the pandemic, we don’t need to celebrate grand, in fact, God wants us to busy ourselves helping those who are needy and by this action, even though we don’t have enough left for us, still we will be shocked to see that God’s grace is beyond compare. – Clea | Helpline PH