ADVENT II-B: Is 40:1-5, 9-11; 2 Pt 3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8

John the Baptist always plays a big role in Advent. He was the last and greatest of a long line of Old Testament prophets. God sent those prophets to prepare Israel for the arrival of the Messiah, the anointed Savior and Redeemer of the world - Jesus.

Isaiah's prophecy in today's First Reading was made more than five hundred years before John the Baptist's prophecy, but their substance is very much the same: God has not forgotten his people, and in spite of their sufferings, sins, and failings, he will come and save them, shepherding them to a happiness beyond what they can imagine.

The consistency of the message throughout so long a period of time puts into context that fascinating line from the Second Reading, which is actually a quotation from the Book of Psalms (Psalm 90:4): "with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day."  This reminded me of a boy who was praying and asked God, God, if you are there speak to me. To his surprise, God talked to him and said, yes, what do you want my son? He was happy that God appeared and so he just asked God, God how is a million years to you? God knew a young boy wouldn’t understand the concept of time very well, and so he said: A million years is like a second to me. Then the boy asked how is a million dollars to you then? God said: A million dollars is like a penny to me. Then the boy asked: God can you give me a penny please? God replied oh sure, wait a second. Most of us are like this boy, who do not understand the concept of time in our life and don’t make much use of it for investing for eternal time with God.

According to the prophet Isaiah, there are two things we can do to get ready to receive the blessings God brings in to our lives: to fill in every valley and to make low every mountain. The valleys stand for our sins of omission, the things we should be doing but aren't. For example, if we aren't spending quality time with our family, we need to fill in that valley. If we aren't spending at least a few minutes each day in prayer with God, we need to fill in that valley. If we aren't going regularly to confession to rejuvenate our souls with God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness, we need to fill in that valley.

The mountains are the selfish and sinful habits that we have built up; the sins of commission. If we like to gossip and spread criticism, we need to tear down that mountain. If we are leading a double life, indulging in hidden sins or lies that are poisoning our souls, we need to lay low that mountain. The mountains and valleys inhibit God's grace from traveling into our hearts; they are roadblocks that keep out God's mercy, peace, and wisdom. In our act of contrition at the beginning we said: I am sorry for what I have done and what I have failed to do..the mountains and valleys of life.

Advent is the season to smooth out and clear up the roads to our hearts. The best and easy way to clear up the road blocks is to repent of our evil ways. True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love.

Not too many years ago, newspapers carried the story of Al Johnson, a Kansas man who repented of his sins and chose Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. What made his story so remarkable was the fact that, as a result of his newfound faith in Christ, he confessed to a bank robbery he had participated in when he was nineteen years old. Because of the statute of limitations, Johnson could not be prosecuted for the offense. But because of his complete and total change of heart, he not only confessed his crime but voluntarily repaid his share of the stolen money! That’s repentance – metanoia -- the radical change of heart demanded by John the Baptist in today’s Gospel.

Billy Graham, who has often played the 20th century role of John the Baptizer, had these comments about the disease running rampant in our world: "We're suffering from only one disease in the world. Our basic problem is not a race problem. Our basic problem is not a poverty problem. Our basic problem is not a war problem. Our basic problem is a heart problem. We need to get the heart changed, the heart transformed."

We are invited by the Church to prepare for Christmas. Christmas is the time for reflection and personal renewal in preparation for the coming of Jesus into our lives.   We want God's help and comfort, but we are not always prepared to change our ways to enhance genuine conversion. For God to come to us, we also need to go to Him. We need to let every day become Christmas and the “Day of the Lord” for each one of us.

Being aware that God often breaks into our lives in unexpected ways and at unexpected times, let’s straighten the paths for our Lord this Advent.