Friday, December 04, 2015

Reflection for Sunday December 6, Second Sunday of Advent; Luke 3:1-6

Gospel: Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
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Reflection:
A powerful and learned man saw a simple man preaching about the teachings of Jesus. The powerful man got curious of what the simple man was talking. So he got off his car and listened to the preaching of the simple man.

The powerful man was so captured by the preaching that he listened to it. After the preaching was over the powerful man said to himself, “I wish God gave me also the same gift of preaching.”

In the gospel for this second Sunday of advent Saint Luke presents to us the names of powerful people. Such as Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate and many other personalities who controlled their own kingdom.

However Luke mentions also the name of John a simple man who was chosen by God to be the herald for Jesus.  God did not choose any of the powerful personalities in the gospel to prepare the way for Jesus. Since they have influence God could have easily chosen any of them. But God chose John the simple man from the desert to become the precursor of Jesus.  

What is the message for us with the anointment of John? This tells us that God generally comes to those who are simple. To those who don’t allow themselves to be possessed by the trappings and influence of this world.

John is also preaching to us about repentance and abhorrence of our many sins. In addition, John is preaching to us that we need to lead and live simple lives. For it’s only in the simplicity of our lifestyle that we would be able to hear the voice of God. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

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