Taking a walk around town, we may observe that Christmas is already around the corner: Advertising decorations, shopping, sales, singing, parties... These activities already carry the Christmas theme, making us feel as if Christmas is already here, while for the Church, we just barely begin the second Sunday of Advent. We have a whole season to prepare ourselves for the eventual celebration of Christmas. The Christmas out there is a commercially oriented Christmas. A Christmas without Christ at its heart!
John the Baptist, a somewhat weird character always plays a central role during Advent season. He is the herald who came to prepare for the coming of the Christ, and John concretely demanded “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” as a preparation of the heart.
Advent is about being vigilant in anticipation of Christ’s coming. We need to learn to wait patiently with high hope ‘for salvation is at hand’. Unfortunately, the cyber high way age with all its fast speed technology does not encourage us in this great virtue of patience; speed, efficiency and result are what matters. We and the whole society are caught up in a hype of ‘have no time for’. We are more prone to anger, impatient with each other, and intolerance because we have no time for each other.
Last Sunday, it was perplexing to start Advent, the new liturgical year of the Church with a gospel reading full of cosmic chaos: Nations in dismay, roaring of sea and waves, people died of fright, powers of heavens shaken… in anticipation of “ the coming of the Son of Man”. However, this is not the end note of the gospel message! These cosmic events are not the last word. GOD HAS THE LAST WORD for those who are vigilant, waiting patiently in the midst of this hope-against-hope situation, “stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand”. God has the last word, not chaos.
A pregnant woman anticipating her labour hour perhaps is a beautiful image of Advent. There is not much she can do. She cannot hurry the hour. All she can do is to be prepared, and wait for her delivery hour. Pain will come but it is not the last word, tears of joy and happiness, a new life born will be the last word of her birth giving. Christmas will come eventually, but at the heart of it must be the Christ of Life, if not, Christmas is merely a seasonal event marked by eating, drinking, spending, anxieties and it will wear us out eventually.
John the Baptist represents an authentic and spiritual side of the Christmas that we should embrace and prepare ourselves to welcome God’s gift to us His Son, and our gift to the baby Jesus a heart of love and conversion.