The Baptism of Christ, Mantegna 1506, Basilica of San Andrea, Mantua, Italy.

Click here to read today’s Sunday Mass Readings.

Click on words highlighted in red for further information.

Today’s gospel comprises the first words of Mark’s gospel. Note there are no angels, no shepherds or kings, no Bethlehem or indeed any of the traditional ideas we have of Christmas. Indeed there is no mention of Jesus’ birth at all! Mark begins at the real beginning as it were, with the fundamental reason Jesus came to us: to be our Messiah, the Anointed of God, to demonstrate directly to us how our lives should be managed in a way that we could be happy and focussed on the ways that God wishes us to live. Jesus was sent to us, as one utterly human in all ways save sin, to show us that the life lived in God can and should be happy and fulfilling when we act as true children of God.

The first person to appear in Mark’s gospel is John the Baptist, as we see in today’s gospel. He is considered by Christian scholars to be the last prophet of the Old Testament heralding the arrival of the Messiah whose shoes, John said, he was unfit even to untie. John was also the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy of a “voice crying in the wilderness” to prepare for the Lord (Isaiah 40:3-5, today’s first reading). And so he was. The very next event in Mark was Jesus appearing at the Jordan to be baptized by John, presumably intrigued by the huge crowds John was attracting, all willing to be washed clean of sin in those waters. Not that Jesus had any sins to be washed away, but that he was there to “fulfill all righteousness”. That’s not part of today’s gospel, but if you are intrigued by that remark, look here. 

Second Sunday in Advent, the Anglican Parish of Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia.

So today’s readings, once more, are preparatory: Isaiah’s prophecy of one who will herald the arrival of the Messiah; then the appearance to the one who will reveal him to the world; and finally today’s second reading from the second letter of St. Peter. Now this seems to suggest that we have not been told to prepare for the Second Coming, except that we have for the last three Sundays! So again we are told to “await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells”. But then this is Advent, the waiting time for the coming of the Lord. We wait patiently, or not, for the arrival of the child on the 25th and preparing for that event as suggested in last Sunday’s reflection. The second reading reminds us yet again that the 25th will come and go, but our waiting for the Lord’s call will continue afterwards, and no-one knows for how long. So this season reminds us to be prepared, both now and always, because we ever know when we will be individually called, or, indeed, when the last great judgment will be upon us. Whatever event may happen, we have been been clearly, pellucidly instructed to be ready! 

Come Unto Me All You Who Labor, Pixabay.

PLEASE SEND THIS REFLECTION TO THOSE YOU THINK WOULD APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU.

Reflections on next Sunday’s Mass Readings will be posted on Wednesday.

Please send your reflections to: RogerJohn@aol.com

© SundayMassReadings.com