Gospel: Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Reflection
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all
The Gospel today immerses us in the spirit of Advent. St. Mark warns us from the beginning the importance of “preparing the way of the Lord”. The Prophet Isaiah teaches us that it is necessary to be prepared for the arrival of the Lord.
I would like to relive the spirit of John the Baptist, whose purpose was to “prepare the way of the Lord”. This same spirit lives in each one of us who continue to work hard to bring the good news to the four corners of the planet.
John the Baptist, in today’s society, perhaps would not be very well received since this saint of the church speaks truth to power. In other words, the truth of the Gospel must burn our hearts; it must drive away the impurities that do not allow us to reach eternal life. We must eliminate everything that does not belong to God.
Brothers and sisters, preparing the way of God is not an easy task – leveling plains and moving mountains.
“Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley. – Isaiah 40:3-4
To receive the only son of God requires entering our inner castle (“The door to enter this castle is prayer and meditation” – Saint Teresa of Avila) and prepare the rooms that will someday be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
“Preparing the way for the Lord” means emptying ourselves and trying to live a life committed to the Gospel and the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, hand in hand with the tradition of the church. Christ’s message must burn in our hearts. Christ is near and we must turn away from sin. We must recognize the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and give it high regard. Our change must begin now. Do not leave for tomorrow what you can to today.
Let us contemplate on Christ who gave himself to us in the Blessed Sacrament and bring it to all corners of the world, so that the same spirit that impelled John the Baptist, may also impel us.
May the Almighty God bless you and protect you and may the Blessed Virgin surrounds you with her cloak.
Action Step:
The spirit of the Lord moves us to put into action what we have learned in the pews. Name some concrete things you do to “prepare the way of the Lord”.
Advent Retreat 