Advent Season Preparation Juxtaposition: John the Baptist and St. Nicholas (a.k.a. "Santa")

December 6 is the feast day of St. Nicholas. This year, 2015, Cycle C, because this day was also the Second Sunday of Advent, St. Nicholas had yield his feast celebration to the Lord, as Sunday is Lord’s day for those who believe in the resurrection of Christ, as he rose from the dead on the first day of the week (i.e. Mark 16:9). 

Because of his humility, I am sure that St. Nick does not mind that his day is taken by the Lord.

In celebrating the Second Advent Sunday, the Gospel reading (Luke 3:1-6) contain words of John the Baptist, citing Isaiah 40:

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.     Luke 3:4-6

Grown-up Christians know that John the Baptist played the role of a harbinger of Christ.  Because of this, many people of his time had thought the John the Baptist was Christ, whom they and their ancestors had been waiting for to come, as indicated in the Gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Advent (Luke 3:10-18). But, as he himself made it clear that John the Baptist was not Christ.

So, John explained:

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.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.    Luke 3:15-17

According to John, someone greater than he is on the way, and he was leading the making of the way of this greater person – the Messiah, the Lord, by preaching for penance, justice, and compassion – and baptizing with water. But, John foretold that the mightier one will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. John was already speaking about Pentecost, after Christ’s Death (Good Friday), Resurrection (Easter Sunday), and Ascension, even when Jesus was only known to some in Nazareth simply as a son of Mary and Joseph, though the Magi from the East acknowledged him as a king, while Simeon and Anna realized him as the Messiah, when Jesus was still a baby. Perhaps, the shepherd, whom angel led to come to the stable, where Jesus was born, could realize the baby as the Messiah.

Now, in thinking of John the Baptist, I think that we can juxtapose John and Nicholas, as Santa, because both come before Christ comes.  The ways they come to us help us prepare the way we meet newborn Jesus, who is Christ.

For those who think “too old to believe in Santa”, it is John the Baptist, who came to us before Christ came to us – unless we were spiritually as awaken as the Magi, Simeon, and Anna.  Though we are not sure if the Magi acknowledged the baby Jesus also as the Messiah, in addition to the King, Simeon and Anna, being well-versed in the scriptures (the Old Testament), knew that the baby Jesus, brought to the Temple by Mary and Joseph, was the Messiah, whose coming was prophesized in the Old Testament (i.e. Isaiah 7:14).

In order for those who are “too old to believe in Santa” any more to be in spiritually good shape to meet the new born Christ on this Christmas,  John the Baptist is the man to listen, as Luke cites his words in his Gospel.

For those who are believe in Santa, preparing for the coming of Santa can be a good way to prepare themselves for the coming of Jesus. 

Santa wants children to be good, when he comes to fill their hanging stockings with goodies.  This message can be applied to the way these children prepare to meet the baby Jesus on Christmas – though kids today are more materialistic to look for presents under the Christmas tree, rather than meeting Jesus in their heart and at Mass on Christmas morning.  If that is the case, then, such kids may not get anything for the next Christmas eve, as Santa is always checking.

Those who are “too old to believe in Santa” no longer hang red socks for Santa to fill with goodies. But, they work hard, following advice of John the Baptist, in preparing for the Lord to come to their heart. For this reason, they examine and re-examine themselves first and figure out how they can “fill every valley” and “make mountains and hills low”. Namely, “filling every valley”  is about filling the spiritual emptiness in us with joy and hope, while “making mountains and hills low” is about humbling ourselves by making our ego deflated and low.

Filling our emptiness within – our spiritual “valleys” -  is like Santa filling empty stockings with goodies. Striving for our humility, making our ego mountains and hills low, is a grown-up way of being the kind of good kids that Santa love to keep filling their socks every Christmas eve.

What about the grown-ups still believe in Santa?

Well, that is the best kind to spend Advent season in repenting our own sinfulness, filling our spiritual emptiness and lowering our ego for better humility, with joyful smile – because this way of making the way of the Lord for Christmas is not something to grumble about but to rejoice.  After all, the focus of the Third Sunday of Advent is joy (gaudium) and rejoicing (gaudete) . That is why the Third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday”(Dominica Gaudete).  Out of the 3 liturgical cycles (A, B, C), the Gaudete Sunday on Cycle C (this year) is the best ( in my opinion), because it is when we read one of Paul’s prison letters, the Letter to the Philippians, in which Paul emphasizes to rejoice.

John the Baptist is preaching now. Let us hark and do our preparation for the Lord to come! And, Santa is coming just before the Lord will come. Let us make sure that emptiness in us is filled so that we can focus more on others and their needs, becoming more like St. Nicholas!

Best of all, Heavenly Father is bringing a very special gift, perhaps, shortly after Santa finishes filling all the stockings of good kids. That is, of course, the Messiah in baby shape, placed in a manger - not to feed animals - but to feed us as the Living Bread of Life so that we may enjoy eternal life.