December 8, 2013
by Fr. Ron Calhoun
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
DECEMBER 7/8, 2013
A couple of years ago I got my first smart phone – like n iPhone but a different manufacturer. I had been reluctant to get one, thinking what would I do with all that technology, and how could my fat fingers type those tiny little keys. But it was time for an upgrade and for little money, I said why not. Now I text, email, surf the net, and make and answer phone calls, check the weather and the news, navigate to new places, and much more, all with this amazing small device. I may not be hooked but I would certainly be lost without it now!
Technology is wonderful today. For example within minutes of Nelson Mandela’s death, the announcement was heard worldwide and on my phone. Communication is almost instantaneous and news good and bad is transmitted universally.
Not so in the time of Jesus. No cell phones, no internet, no way of instantaneously communicating the good news. And into that culture in today’s gospel enters John The Baptist. HE had THE good news to announce to the people and all he had to communicate with was His person. But he used it well. He dressed in camel’s hair and a leather belt; and he ate locusts and wild honey. Don’t you get a picture of some wild man emerging from the desert? Wild enough, to attract the attention of the people. His message was clear: the kingdom of God is at hand; prepare yourselves and be baptized. And he began dunking people in the river – again not something they were accustomed to but it attracted a lot of attention.
St. Matthew says Jerusalem, all of Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and being baptized. It sounds like he didn’t need twitter or Facebook to get his message across. Word of mouth spread quickly. HE truly had become the herald of good news, and the news travelled fast. They say that bad news travels fast, but in those early years so did good news.
Today on this Second Sunday of Advent, as we light our second candle, we are reminded that we too have good news to communicate: Christ has come and will come again. The Kingdom of God is at hand. This is the time, in the midst of holiday happenings, to prepare our hearts for that coming of Christ.
We too don’t need the internet or Facebook or whatever to be heralds of Christ. Like John we only need ourselves, people of faith, to witness to that message of hope. May we go forth today, heralding Christ’s coming to all we meet.