John the Baptist takes center stage in the Gospels in all three Lectionary cycles on the Second and Third Sundays of Advent. He strides dramatically onto the scene, preaching in the desert and calling people to baptism. His camel’s hair clothing and diet of locusts and honey make him what a friend called “the kind of person who causes parents to draw their children closer as he passes.”
John’s message is indeed one of challenge. He makes it clear that to prepare for the coming of the promised Messiah, we must repent and make his paths straight. Here he echoes his Old Testament counterpart, and fellow Advent prophet, Isaiah. John appears on the Biblical stage for only a short time. He’s eager to step aside and make way for Christ. But even Our Lord takes a moment in Matthew 11 (Thursday of the Second Week of Advent) to acknowledge John’s place in the story of salvation. May we likewise find a place for the message of repentance as we make ready for Christmas.
—adapted from the book Advent with the Saints: Daily Reflections
by Greg Friedman, OFM
