12/9/18: 2nd Sunday of Advent: If We Can do One Thing during Advent...

The great Advent figure presented to us in the Liturgy is St. John the Baptist. His job as bridge between the Old and New Testaments was to announce and prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah, their Savior. What did this preparation consist of? Quite simply, repentance. People flocked to John, leaving the city of Jerusalem and venturing out into the wilderness to find him at the Jordan. And there he dipped them into the river's waters, signifying death to sin and their old life and their emergence into their new life. And they confessed their sins. If we are only to do one thing this Advent to prepare for Christ to enter our hearts anew this Christmas, we can receive our instructions from John the Baptist.