John the Baptist Prepares the Way

ADVENT LANTERN (daily meditations)

December 6. The 2nd Sunday of Advent.

The thoughts of dr. Jakubinyi György Archbishop Emeritus

We live in a dual Advent: our own Advent revives the Old Testament, the time when people were waiting for the first arrival of the Messiah, the Christmas. At the same time we are waiting for the second and final arrival of the Messiah, the end of the world. Therefore, we live in a constant Advent. The main character of the gospel today is John the Baptist, the forerunner. He shows us the Messiah on the banks of the Jordan: Behold, this is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. His words are also our Advent preparation programme for Christmas: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. It means we should repent, go to confession, eradicate from our soul all that is twisted, all that distracts us from Christ. Let us do good to our neighbours, let us relieve the physical and spiritual misery that surrounds us.

Photo: Geréd Zsolt