Advent Reflection- Day #26 (Feast of Saint John Kanty)

The Psalm today calls out to God: make known to me, teach me, guide me, instruct me, show sinners (me) the way! Eight times, in six short stanzas, David cries out to God in this Psalm for direction, for knowledge, for wisdom. David cries out to know the will of God! David must believe that understanding God's will is VERY IMPORTANT!
And it is Important to know God's will, Important to us and important to God. God shows us the importance of knowing His will in promising a messenger to prepare the way for His coming. We see this messenger – this prophet – in today's Gospel as John, coming in the spirit of Elijah, prepares the way for Jesus' first Advent – His first coming.

“But that's 2000 year old news” you may say. “If knowledge of God's will is so important, who is preparing us for His second coming? Who is teaching us, guiding us, instructing us in the way of the Lord?????” The answer would be Christ's Church, and not just the institutionalized church, but by all the members of His Body – US! By our Baptism we are made, priest, prophet and king. In our role as prophet we are the messengers of God's will, we are meant to instruct the ignorant, by teaching Truth, Goodness and Beauty. Not only in our words, but by the way we live our lives.

Let's ponder our responsibility not only to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christ's birth, but our responsibility to be messengers of God and prepare the world for His second coming, so we can stand when He appears to be refined by His purifying fire like silver and gold.

-Deacon Joe