GOSPEL
Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.
The beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:
Look, I am going to send my messenger before you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord,
make his path straight;
and so it was that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judaea and all the people of Jerusalem made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. John wore a garment of camel-skin, and he lived on locusts and wild honey. In the course of his preaching he said, ‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’
(Mark 1:1–8)
DID YOU KNOW?
Points of interest and Catholic lore
- John the Baptist is a prominent figure in Mark’s Gospel. In Luke’s Gospel, he is portrayed as a cousin of Jesus, but in the other gospels he seems not to know the identity of Jesus and no family connection is mentioned.
- John’s clothing of homespun camel hair tied with a leather thong around the waist is the explicit garb of a prophet.
EXPLORING THE WORD
The prophet Isaiah brought a message of hope and comfort to the people of Israel who were in exile in Babylon. Despite their failings, God is merciful and has promised them a new beginning. John the Baptist appears in the line of that great prophet and again promises Israel the chance of a new beginning if they repent and turn again towards God.
The emphasis in Mark’s portrait of the Baptist is very much that of the subordinate. John’s self-effacing manner makes it clear that he is not the one who is promised, but the one who is to prepare the way. The emphasis in John’s preaching is on judgment; for Jesus it is the reign of God and salvation.
- Advent is also a time of new beginnings, and John the Baptist’s ‘voice in the wilderness’ is a personal invitation to each of us to prepare a way for the Lord into our lives now. What special preparation for Christmas will you undertake this year? How may this be different from what you have done in the past?
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer
- Who are the people who have helped you to come to the way of the Lord? Who are the people who act as God’s messengers for you?
- Are there obstacles that need to be removed to make a straight path for the Lord? What stops you from focusing on God?
- To repent is to have a change of heart or mind. Have you ever had a change of heart or mind over a significant person, issue or task that has led to a new approach or new way of thinking? Discuss your experiences together.
- The wilderness or the desert can be a silent and frightening place—and yet it is into this silence that both John and Jesus withdraw to pray. For them it became a place of deep intimacy with God. Is Advent a time to retreat into the wilderness within and listen for the voice whose cries are often missed in the busyness of life?
- Think about the times or places when you are most attuned to God’s presence and God’s voice. Make time this week to spend a while in this wilderness within, listening to the voice that is there.
- Repeat these words often this week and act on them in a small way each day:
Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths.
SHARING THE TRADITION
A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ
Mark’s Gospel was the first to be written down, around the year ad 70. It is generally accepted that Mark wrote for an audience in Rome who were undergoing persecution for their faith. It is the shortest of the four gospels and is told in a lively and straightforward style. Mark seeks to explore the identity of Jesus, to describe the responses of various people to him and to invite us to become disciples.
In the opening verse of his gospel, Mark alerts his readers instantly to the identity of the main character. This work is the Good News about Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
- You could take this opportunity to do a simple comparison of the gospel portraits of Jesus and introduce the group to the different theological concerns of the authors.
- You could compare the two infancy narratives and address the question of how Matthew and Luke present Jesus’ birth and why each may have written of it in that particular way.
- Ask the group how they are feeling about their own forthcoming baptism and what new beginning that will represent for them.
SYMBOLS AND IMAGES
God had called the people of Israel out of Egypt and led them across the River Jordan to be a new people. God, through John, is now calling for a new people by passing them through the waters of baptism in the same river.
LIVING THE WORD
Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment
- What possibilities exist within your parish community to become more involved in studying the Scriptures? Are there study programs offered or is this a need that exists in your community? How might this challenge be met?
- Light the second of the Advent candles. A suitable song would be ‘Prepare the way’ (GA 284). Pray for each other and for all members of the parish community as they prepare for the coming of Christ. Conclude with the prayer of exorcism in the RCIA at §94E.