During Advent it is good to reflect upon the witnesses of the men and women who prepared the way for the Lord’s coming amongst us. Mary, Zechariah, John the Baptist. These men and women were ready, when the Lord came, to recognize Him, to point the way to Him, and to follow Him and receive the new life that He brought.
John the Baptist is a special patron of the Brotherhood’s. We as Brothers have taken him as our model. He is the best man waiting for the coming of the bridegroom. He is the voice crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord.” He is the one with his heart fixed upon God and his eyes seeking to be ready and to receive the Lord when He comes.
And John was privileged to be able to receive the Lord, to recognize Him when he came and to point others to Him. As Jesus walked by, John says, “Behold the Lamb of God. Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.” And the disciples went and followed Jesus and became some of his first apostles.
May each one of us be like John the Baptist during this season. Our hearts attentive to the Lord’s coming in our midst. Our voices crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight His paths. Receive the new life that He has for you.”
May each one of us be like John and point the way to the Lord, so that when He comes, we recognize Him and we receive Him as our Master, and rejoice that our joy might be full because the Lord has come.