December 7, 2014 – Second Sunday of Advent
Is 40: 1-5, 9-11; Ps 85: 9-14; 2 Ptr 3: 8-14; Mk 1: 1-8
“One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.” Many of us may recall that proclamation from St. John the Baptist. It certainly reflects the humility expected from all of us as stewards of the Lord.
Nevertheless, there is a deeper meaning in that statement which has both implication and applicability to us and our lives. At that time, the time of John the Baptist and Jesus, one of the basic teachings of Jewish rabbis was that a teacher might demand almost anything of his students and followers with one exception: that was to remove the teacher’s sandals. John tells us he is not worthy to do even that. This Advent season asks us to evaluate how we relate to God, and how prepared we are to serve Christ as His disciple, His steward.
Are we worthy? That is the question we need to be asking ourselves. And the truth is that none of us are worthy of the sacrifice and salvation provided us by the Lord. Jesus brings us an immersion in the Holy Spirit which takes us beyond this life and this understanding. Are we ready? It is time to get ready. Saint Pope John Paul II said, “The whole of our life must be an ‘advent,’ a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ.”
