Saturday, 9 December 2017

Second Sunday of Advent - Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news…
The second Sunday of Advent turns our attention to John the Baptist. John was an interesting individual. We are told he dressed a bit strangely, had an odd diet and spent a lot of time in the desert. Yet it seems he was very popular with the whole of Judaea and ‘all the people of Jerusalem’ went out to hear him. John must have been a dynamic speaker and one in whom people found hope and inspiration. Who are these attractive messengers for us today? Who brings us good news and hope? Whose message makes sense for us? Who do we flock to hear?


Today we might also reflect on the messengers in our own lives. Who did God send to you while you were in your own wilderness? Perhaps they brought with them a moment of grace reassuring you that you would not be drifting aimlessly forever. Perhaps the evidence at that moment in your own life stated the contrary, yet these words of encouragement or comfort gave you reason to hope and to hang in there. These ‘John the Baptists’ are messengers of the light. They are all around us. Sometimes we are the ones called upon to be a messenger of light for someone else. The good news of the Gospel today is that even in times of desolation there is a hope, a promise that urges us on. How we prepare for this journey determines our experience. “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you…”
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