Third Advent with St. Luke

When we begin our journey through Advent, we are faced with many strong spiritual images. The First Advent Sunday presented us with the Prophet Jeremiah, who echoed the promise of the Lord. It is the Lord who would bring forth “a virtuous branch” by which Salvation and Confidence of the people of Israel and Judah were assured. From this virtuous branch, we moved to the desert, where the Word of God came to John the Baptist. It is an indication that through solitude, that the voice of God becomes clear. Now, from solitude, we move to notion of repentance, the first calling made by John the Baptist.

For life to be interesting, alive and vibrant, there should be colours. Colours bring variants. Variants bring beauty. For beauty to happen, there should be creativity. When there is creativity, there is thinking. Thinking breathes reflection and this gives birth to changes and modification. That is the art of living. Hence, for us, some changes are needed for new elements to sip in, so that meaning could be drawn from Christmas.  It is though these changes that will create new rhythms, new chords, new songs, new lyrics and new words. John the Baptist becomes the forerunner of this very new song of salvation. The theme of his song is this ancient religious word “repentance.” Of course, his song sung in the wilderness, sounds fierce, alarming with no sense of rejoicing. However, as part of the preparation of accepting the coming of Christ, this song of repentance have to be part of our Christian living. And repentance, which is marked by justice, can be our Christian way to herald the Messiah into the world.