Second Sunday of Advent (Year B)
Is 40:1-5,9-11; 2Pt 3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8
A school principal called the house of one of his teachers to find out why he was not in school. He was greeted by a small child who whisper: “Hello?”
“Is your Daddy home?” asked the principal.
“Yes,” answered the whispering child.
“May I talk with him?” the man asked.
“No,” replied the small voice.
“Is your Mommy there?” he asked.
“Yes,” came the answer.
“May I talk with her?”
Again the small voice whispered, “No.”
“All right,” said the man, “Is there any one there besides you?”
“Yes,” whispered the child, “A policeman.”
“A policeman? Now, may I speak with the policeman?”
“No, he's busy,” whispered the child..
“Busy doing what?” asked the principal.
“Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the fireman,” came the child’s answer.
“The fireman? Has there been a fire in the house or something?” asked the worried man.
“No,” whispered the child.
“Then what are the police and fireman doing there?”
Still whispering, the young voice replied with a soft giggle, “They are looking for me.”
Message:
How difficult it might have been for the parents and the rescuers to find the child after calling so many times!
In today’s gospel we see John the Baptist in the desert calling out to the people of Judea to come out into the open desert and let God find them. You can liken it to the fireman calling out to the “lost” child. The child has to leave his hiding place and come out into the open for the fireman to find him.
What is the promise that we hear in the liturgy today?
“Comfort”. When we listen to His call and come out from our hiding places, we experience the comfort which God wants us to experience.
Today we are in our hiding places because of Covid-19 and its consequences. We see suffering everywhere. This season of Advent invites and especially this Sunday, God invites us to experience the comfort in Him and never to lose hope.
In the Bible the desert has come to mean a place of encounter with God. It was in the desert that the people of Israel met God and learnt the ways of God. There they became God’s own people and the Lord became their God. But first they had to give up all the things that make for the good life that they were enjoying in Egypt: “the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic” (Numbers 11:5). Jesus, before beginning his public ministry, spent forty days and nights in the desert. It was a time of discovering and deepening his personal relationship with God. By calling the people into the desert John was calling them to let go of their false hopes and securities and learn to hope and trust in God alone.
Happy Sunday
(You are most welcome to add your reflections and comments in the section below)
Nice Reflection...
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