John the Baptist: Prepare the Way of Christ into Our Hearts: Advent Preparation Work with Vigilance and Diligence – 2nd Sunday of Advent, Cycle B

 When you are drowsy, do you think you can do your work well? Probably, you would do a lousy job.

In moving from the First Sunday of Advent to the Second Sunday of Advent on Cycle B in the Liturgical Calendar, reflect on the above question, because vigilance was a theme emphasized in the First Sunday of Advent Gospel, B (Mark 13:33-37).  Following that, now, on the Second Sunday of Advent, the Gospel Reading (Mark 1:1-8) tells us that we need to work diligently in our preparation for the coming of Christ, upon listening to the voice crying out in the wilderness, the voice of John the Baptist (John 1:23), “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” (Mark 1:3; Isaiah 40:3). The voice of John the Baptist from the wilderness by the Jordan River does not say, “Just wait for Christ to come”. Rather, John is calling us to get in action, keeping us busy in our preparation for the adventus of Christ to come.

So, in spirit, exactly where is Christ coming? Where Christ will arrive?

Will it be a manger in the animal stable, outskirts of the town of Bethlehem, just like how it happened about 2,000 years ago?

It should not be a manger. Christ deserves a better place to arrive. And it should be our hearts where Christ is coming and arriving.

Remember, our hearts are where the Word with Wisdom is deposited as the source of life (Proverbs 4:20-22), and we are to guard this with vigilance and diligence (מִ֭שְׁמָר /mishmar). Our hearts to be guarded with vigilance and diligence is where the way of Christ’s coming ends. And Christ is the Word in the human flesh of Jesus (John 1:1, 14) and the Wisdom (Proverbs 8:22-36). Thus, as the Word, Christ is sent  by the Father in heaven to arrive in our hearts so that our hearts shall function as the wellspring of life, which is given by Christ.

So, we need to work diligently and vigilantly, as indicated by the spirit of this Hebrew word used in Proverbs 4:23. For this, we need to work on the straight way for Christ to arrive in our hearts.

In the First Reading (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11), the crying voice in the wilderness, prophesized for John the Baptist calling to prepare for Christ’s coming by the Jordan River, says:

Every valley shall be lifted up,

every mountain and hill made low;

The rugged land shall be a plain,

the rough country, a broad valley.   Isaiah 40:5

So, in order to welcome Christ at his arrival, are we to go to valleys to fill them up with land reclamation projects? And to blow mountains with dynamites to flatten them?

No. It means to work on our hearts – to make our hearts stable, peaceful, and content. The condition of our hearts must be peaceful. By the time Christ arrives, there should not be emotional ups and downs – no psychological valleys and mountains in our hearts. The work on our hearts also includes receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation upon confessing our sins and having them absorbed, because clean hearts means the hearts without rugged and rough conditions. So, the state of our hearts shall not be turbulent but peaceful enough for Christ to enter smoothly.

 This is what John the Baptist is calling us to work on diligently and vigilantly as our preparatory work for Christ’s arrival. Yes, he is on the way and coming closer and closer. We sure do not want to find our work incomplete at his arrival. That is why we need to guard our hearts vigilantly from temptations to slack off. That is why we need to keep working diligently.

 Don’t we want to welcome Christ in our hearts?

 Some may ask, “How much time do we have – do we need to work so hard – until the arrival of Christ?”

Curious about when Christ is coming?

 Read the Second Reading (2 Peter 3:8-14), and you will be admonished that it was rather a stupid question. That kind of question can be a red flag that you are at risk of being tempted to slack off. By asking such a question on time, you know you can “calculate” how many days you can take it easy and how many days you work hard. But no. No such a “strategic planning” in our preparation work to welcome Christ at his arrival. In this reading, Peter reminds that Christ’s arrival will not be delayed, though some may wonder so and that he comes like a thief, meaning unpredictability of his arrival. So, we just work diligently and vigilantly, wasting not even a moment.

 In Isaiah 40:9-11, the second half of the First Reading, we are reminded how it will be upon Christ’s arrival.

 We will be standing on high place, pointing to the Father in heaven, shouting out the good news of Christ’s arrival in our hearts, with great joy, knowing that the one who has just arrived in our hearts is also the Good Shepherd to guide us to his Kingdom towards the end of time. Yes, as the Shepherd, he feeds us well – with his own Body, namely, with the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, Corporis et Sanguinis Christi, until the end of time when he will escort us to his heavenly wedding banquet, connecting images of Last Supper (Matthew 26:17–30//Mark 14:12–26//Luke 22:7–39), Bread of Life Discourse (John 6:22-59), and Wedding Banquet of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9).

 John the Baptist added that we will be receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit as another benefit of Christ’s arrival (Mark 1:8), foretelling the Pentecost to be “born again” to become the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:6-9).

 Now, we see how God the Father has already mapped out our path of salvation all the way to Christ’s Kingdom and to become his bride, in response to our cry sung in the Responsorial Psalm’s (85:9-10-11-12, 13-14) refrain:

 Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Now we are fully awake and alert and eager to work diligently and vigilantly to welcome Christ in our hearts, looking forward to shouting with joy his arrival because it is Good News and great benefits to unfold towards the Kingdom.