Scripture Reading
“Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Luke 3: 15-16
Reflection
In our Gospel, we hear that the crowds who sought out John the Baptist “were filled with expectation.” They were seeking the Messiah and they wondered “whether John might be the Christ.” But he wasn’t. And though he “preached good news to the people, “his mission and ministry were instead to point the way to the Savior. In this regard, our Gospel challenges us to examine the motivations that drive us in the practice of our faith. What expectations do we have of the child whose birth we will celebrate in a little more than a week? Our faith reminds us that the core of the Christian life is to engage with a God who is recklessly in love with us – a God whose love was manifested by assuming our nature. Are we willing to follow the baby born in Bethlehem with the entirety of our being, letting God lead us to places where we would never imagine ourselves going? Or do our expectations for how God should be, and what God should do, get in the way of an authentic encounter with Jesus?
Practice
As we finished our Christmas preparations this week, let us take a moment to reflect on our expectations for our celebration this year. Let us take time to make sure that as we prioritize all the tasks yet to be done, we find time to renew our commitment to following the One who was first pointed out to the crowds by John the Baptist.
This Advent Reflection was written by Father Jordan Lenaghan, who currently serves as the Chaplain of Albertus Magnus College.