Prepare the way of the Lord
Second Sunday of Advent, Year A (04/12/2022)
(Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Romans 15: 4-9; Matthew 3:1-12)
Fr. Samuel Odeh
Our first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is a description of the reign and coming of Christ and of all that will accompany the coming of Christ. He will be descended from the same roots as King David. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon the Christ of God. It shall be a spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might and of the knowledge and fear of the Lord. Christ shall be a judge who favors the poor and the lowly in society. When the power of Christ comes there shall be so much peace on earth such that wild animals and domestic animals live together and children will play at the holes of poisonous snakes. “They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea, says the Lord.
John the Baptist, whom we meet in our Gospel reading today, is the one who announced Christ Jesus when he came. He suddenly appears in the wilderness of Judea preaching repentance: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. The witness of John the Baptist in announcing the coming of Christ was foretold by the prophet Isaiah centuries beforehand. John the Baptist is described as “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” John the Baptist asked the people to prepare for the coming of the Lord through confessing their sins and being baptized, a ritual cleansing. He gives a harsh warning to the Pharisees and Sadducees who come to him for baptism that they not rely on their privileged status as descended from Abraham and fail to produce the fruits of genuine repentance. The warning is also meant for us. We are not to rely on our Christian baptism alone. We can prepare for the coming of the Lord by making a good act of contrition and going to Confession. God will separate the faithful from the unfaithful when Jesus comes. Those of us listening to this Gospel passage today are being charged to prepare the way for the Lord’s coming at Christmas. Advent is a time for preparing for Christ’s coming at Christmas. Before we can announce the Good News of his coming we must prepare our lives, our hearts and our homes through fruits of kindness and hospitality and charity. We must be ready to allow Christ deeply into our lives. John the Baptist further tells us that he is a servant of Christ whose coming will bring a baptism “with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
The second reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans explains what we as members of the Christian community must do to prepare the way for Christ’s coming: “Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God”. We must be ready to show hospitality and welcome to those who visit us at Christmas. We must recognize Jesus and learn to see him in our guests. Let us be able to say from our hearts, “Lord Jesus, welcome into my life.”
