This week's readings Sunday, Dec. 9, 2001 Reading I: Is 11:1-10 Reading II: Rom 15:4-9 Gospel: Mt 3:1-12 Monday, Dec. 10, 2001 Reading I: Is 35, 1-10 Gospel: Lk 5, 17-26 Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2001 Reading I: Is 40, 1-11 Gospel: Mt 18, 12-14 Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001 Reading I: Zec 2, 14-17 Gospel: Lk 1, 26-38 Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001 Reading I: Is 41, 13-20 Gospel: Mt 11, 11-15 Friday, Dec. 14, 2001 Reading I: Is 48, 17-19 Gospel: Mt 11, 16-19 Saturday, Dec. 15, 2001 Reading I: Sir 48, 1-4. 9-11 Gospel: Mt 17, 10-13 Pope's Prayer Intentions December General Intention Escape from cultural conditioning that blinds us to the rights of others. That we Christians may escape the subtle cultural conditioning which stifles recognition of the dignity and rights of others. December Mission Intention Illumination of the cultures of Asia by Christian humanism with its Gospel values. That Christian humanism may illumine, through Gospel values, the cultures of Asia.

Repent:

Prepare the way,
make straight his paths

		Word of God  Word of Life  Fr. John G. Stillmank

The strong and forceful figure of John the Baptist bursts with us into the Gospel as the forerunner of the Messiah, preaching in the desert and telling people to get ready for his coming.

The appearance and way of life of this last and most important of the prophets make him stand out no less today than in his day. His camel's hair clothing, held tight about him with a leather belt, his food of locusts and wild honey in the desert of Judea -- this is no televangelist! John is serious about his faith, and his life of poverty and repentance is an example for us.

"Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" The call to change our lives, to prepare the way of the Lord, to make straight his paths, is intimately linked to the coming of God's reign. The coming of the Messiah, the Christ, whom we know is Jesus, ushers in the kingdom of heaven in the person of the Son of God.

John's ministry of preaching and baptizing -- of helping people to acknowledge their sins and prepare for the coming of the Messiah -- is the ministry that Jesus gives to his disciples before his return to the Father's right hand after the events of his earthly life. Here, just before Jesus appears in his public ministry, John pre-figures for us a large part of the work of the Church Jesus will later found.

Readings for Second Sunday of Advent (Dec. 9) Isaiah 11:1-10 Psalm 72 Romans 15:4-9 Matthew 3:1-12

Isaiah the Prophet paints a picture for us of the "shoot (which) shall sprout from the stump of Jesse," the Davidic King for which Israel has awaited -- and it is a picture of Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God.

"The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him" -- which later we see when Jesus is baptized by John. The poor and the afflicted were sought out by him -- just as we sing in the psalms. The ruthless and the wicked he dealt with by the wisdom of his teaching. Justice is a band around his waist, and faithfulness his belt -- Jesus is starting to look something like John.

References to the wolf, the young lion, the cobra -- these draw us out into the desert, where Jesus prayed for forty days and forty nights before beginning his ministry. And it should not surprise us that Jesus too preaches that God's kingdom is at hand, and that people should repent and change their lives.

No wonder that people felt compelled to ask John if he was the Messiah -- he looks like him! But no, John says. One is coming after me, "I am not worthy to carry his sandals." I am merely getting you ready for him, says John.

John gives us a portrait of a very active and serious Messiah, who will cut down trees which do not bear good fruit and throw them into the fire, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, who will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. Therefore get ready! Change your lives so that you will bear good fruit, so that you will be the wheat gathered in and not the chaff burned!

In our world today there is much need of repentance. It's all too easy to look at everything that is happening and shift blame elsewhere, to make all sin a corporate, social sin. John didn't preach that message -- he talked to people, to individuals.

So did Jesus. If we get our own house in order, if we turn away from sin and make straight the crooked paths we used to walk, we will also change the world. Justice will be our clothing, faithfulness the belt we wear. We will be poor in spirit so as to be rich in God's love and mercy.

And our food will be, not locusts and honey in the desert, but the Body and Blood of Christ at the eternal banquet in God's kingdom, which John preached and which Jesus is making happen.

Fr. John G. Stillmank is Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Madison and pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Verona, and St. William Parish, Paoli.