Back in October of 1908, when Henry Ford first produced the Model T, he told the American public that they could have the car in any color they wanted – as long as it was black!
Since the earliest days of automobile production, many cars have been built, and many different designs and colors have been offered. Every year, car enthusiasts eagerly await the newest models and concepts.
For the past couple of decades or so, there has been a trend to make new cars look like some classic older models. It is a “retro” look. The new Volkswagen Beetle, Chrysler’s PT Cruiser, the new Ford Thunderbird and Ford GT, and the new Dodge Challenger, Dodge Demon, and Chevy Camaro are examples of this trend. These cars have all the latest technologies loaded into a nostalgic design.
In our first reading today, Isaiah showers our senses with all kinds of images and models: filled valleys, leveled mountains, fiery prophets, gentle shepherds. These images are very familiar to us today, but they were quite new when Isaiah revealed his prophecy.
In the midst of this looking ahead to what is to come, in our second reading, Peter tells us that we are to patiently await the new heaven and earth the Messiah will bring, even if it takes a thousand years.
In our Gospel reading, St. Mark introduces us to a sort of “retro” prophet – John the Baptist – a kind of Old Testament figure to begin his New Testament Gospel, a character out of synch with his time. Indeed, our readings about the old and the new seem to be out of synch with each other.
But isn’t that the real message of Advent? What is new is old. God has always loved us. The Messiah is the ultimate sign of that love. And what is old is new. The message of salvation is as fresh today as it was 2,000 years ago. God’s promise of love remains for us if we remain faithful to God. Advent is what brings the old and new together, like John the Baptist.
If we look at our family celebrations of Advent and Christmas, we see that there is always a link to the past, to relatives who have left us. Yet, in a sense, they are still with us. And, while living out those old traditions, new traditions merge with them and become a part of the larger tradition of future generations. The present bridges the past and the future.
As we celebrate the faith and traditions that have been handed onto us, we hand them on to others and keep the Gospel alive and active in our world.+
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