By Rev. Canon David B. Tabo-oy
v1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
v2 1As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, v3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” v4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (ESV). (Read: Mark 1:1-8)
This Sunday we light the second candle in the Advent Wreath. There are four colored candles symbolizing the four Sundays of the Advent Season. These are also called the candles of Joy, Hope, Love and Peace. The fifth and white candle at the center is the Christ’s candle telling us that the reason of all these liturgical or otherwise undertakings is Jesus the Christ. Recall with me the further meaning and background of all these.
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Last Sunday we entered the new year in the church liturgical calendar which is Advent. Advent is the time where every believer is called to prepare themselves for the celebration of the first Advent, the birth of the Messiah more than two thousand years ago which we now call Christmas. Equally important, Advent is also the time that we are reminded that there is a second Advent to anticipate, and that we should make ourselves ready. Jesus tells us in the Gospel that we should be like men awaiting their master’s return from a trip. They did not know how long he would be away, but they knew someday he would come back. It must not catch them by surprise; they must always be ready. Jesus reminds us that the One who has come is indeed coming again. The sign of the times helps us to stay prepared. Advent is a time for conversion, a time to prepare the way for the coming of the Kingdom of God.
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Conversion is a radical change of mentality, basic attitudes, a change of minds and hearts that manifest in a new lifestyle and behavior. Conversion is a prerequisite to celebrate Christmas. Why so? Christmas celebration would only be a sham if we do not know or believe the reason of the season – who is Christ.
I just read from the internet a call to every Christian to write the great malls in the U.S.A. like Kohl, Walmart, Macy’s and other superstores. The reason: These superstores, in their bid to sell more are trying to submit to the demands of few people who do not believe in Christmas. So they put up their signboard: Happy Holidays instead of merry Christmas. Why? We must understand that there is a holiday in December because of Christmas, the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Christ.
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In our gospel reading Mark cited from the prophet Isaiah about someone coming and proclaiming: Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, v3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ And John the Baptist appeared from the wilderness baptizing and proclaiming the baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins. This Advent season, we are offered the opportunity to see ourselves in the context of preparation and announcement. This time of Advent readiness, we are offered the opportunity to see ourselves in the context of preparation and announcement. Our mandate is to prepare for what is to come by calling attention to the way of the Lord, which means risking ourselves even to the wilderness of desolation, in the brokenness of the world, where our sisters and brothers are ensnared. Our mandate is to manifest hope and bear witness to light by our faithful affirmation of God’s promise that as we each, individually and corporately, choose the truth and direction of God’s way, God’s hope will become real – be born again into the world, transforming it from a place of aridness to a place of fertility, from wilderness to abundance. The COVID-19 pandemic offers us such opportunity.
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I read about Sue Monk Kidd who wrote in one of her books of her recollection as a young person and how she would prepare for Christmas. In early December, she would sit by the wooden nativity set clustered under their Christmas tree and think over the last year of her life. She would think deeply about Christmas and the coming of Jesus. She remembers, one time, visiting a monastery. It was a couple of weeks before Christmas. As she passed a monk walking outside, she greeted him with, “Merry Christmas.” The monk’s response caught her off guard a bit. “May Christ be born in you.” He replied. His words seemed strange and peculiar at the time. What did he mean, “May Christ be born in you?” At the time she was unsure of what he meant, but now all these years later, sitting beside the Christmas tree, she felt the impact of his words. She discovered that Advent is a time of spiritual preparation. It is also a time of transformation. It is “discovering our soul and letting Christ be born from the waiting heart.”
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We are sure that Christ will come again. We do not know when – but he will come to judge both the living and the dead. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves – lest he will find us asleep. And the best way to prepare for that day is to prepare today. The best preparation for tomorrow is today. Therefore, the call of this season of Advent is ‘be prepared’ not only for Christmas but for Christ’s eventual coming again. SO, HOY GISING!***
Let us pray.
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.**
