In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
48 posted on 12/10/2006 7:50:06 PM PST by Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
During Advent the Church identifies with John the Baptist and uses his witness to prepare us for the new presence of Christ that will be ours at Christmas. This towering saint, the friend of the Bridegroom, as Luke shows us today in the Gospel, appeared at just the moment God willed for him. He is a figure in time and space, in history. The word of the Lord came to him in “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (probably AD 28-29) and, to prepare Israel for the coming of its Messiah, he preached a “baptism of repentance.” In this way the people could ratify their membership in Israel and accept their vocation. They repented and renounced their sins, accepted a baptism that signified conversion, and committed themselves to God. John was “a voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” We prepare the way for the Lord to come into our hearts by repenting of our sins, expressing our conversion by a good confession, accepting our vocation as Christians, and helping others, especially in our families, to prepare their hearts for the grace of Christmas. The Lord is saying to you: listen to John’s words resounding in my Church and yield to what I want to do in your life.
Reflection based on Luke 3:1-6
Father Francis Martin
Loving Father, make me sorrowful for my sins and enable me to yield to what you want to do in my life.
49 posted on 12/10/2006 8:22:49 PM PST by Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)