Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
One of the consequences of being able to take pictures so easily with digital cameras and smart phones is the number of pictures that we can keep. I now have almost 20,000 pictures that I have taken and are now stored on the so-called “cloud”.
But I still have my favorites.
The picture that I posted with this reflection is one of them. It shows the index finger of John the Baptist. Everything else about him is a bit blurred out. His pointer finger gets special attention in the picture, and that is why I like it so much. The whole life of John the Baptist was to point to someone other than himself — Jesus. He would say to the crowds, “One mightier than I is coming after me.” He would also say of Jesus, “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). This reminds us to stay focused on Jesus and give him the greatest attention and glory.
On this Second Sunday of Advent there are plenty of excuses to be unfocused on what matters most to our spiritual lives. We have cards to send, gifts to wrap, cookies to bake, concerts to attend, etc.
But John the Baptist is a stark and compelling reminder, “a voice crying out in the desert,” that the season is really about looking to Jesus as our Messiah and Savior, the one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, and the one who should get our full devotion.
How do we do that? We do what the people who came to John the Baptist did. We listen to God’s Word, we repent of our sins, and we accept God's forgiveness, and ultimately, we come to know Jesus in a personal way as our Lord and God.
Then, like John the Baptist, we point to him for others to see and come to know and love.
Happy Advent and a blessed week everyone.