Everything is in Him
Everything has a beginning - the world, life, man, love ... We have also begun the time of Advent. The "beginning" spoken of by the word of God in the Gospel according to St. Mark is the entire record of the activity, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, understood as the "beginning" of the Gospel entrusted to the Church so that it may be proclaimed to the whole world (Mk 13:10; 14:9). The Gospel meant for the early Christians the "good - saving" news that was the center of the Christian community, organized its entire life and was proclaimed to all. Jesus, who proclaims the Good News about the kingdom of God, is both its content and the guarantee of its truthfulness. And although it seems that the person of John the Baptist is at the center of today's Gospel, the most important is the One about whom he says: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (cf. Mk 1: 7-8).
John's immersion in water in Israel performed the ritual cleansing of bodies at chocrim bitshuwa (כחוכרים ביצזוועה) - persons who, in repentance, turn from sin to God. The future baptism mentioned by John the Baptist is characterized as conversion - metanoia, that is, the emergence of a new reality in man, freeing him from all his sins. Transformation understood in this way is the emergence of a new, sin-free relationship of man with God. The Greek word metanoiete, which is related to nous (mind), means "change your mind, change your heart completely." We are dealing here not only with the direction "from", but most of all "to". Because turning from our sins and iniquity is impossible unless we turn to God at the same time. Otherwise, we will turn from one sins to another. For true conversion and return to God to be possible, we need baptism in the Holy Spirit, because only immersion in Him gives us power from God, enabling us to live a holy life and to bear witness to others. In the letter of St. Paul to the Romans we read: “Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death.” (cf. Rom 8: 1-2).
The three activities of people in today's Gospel - going out of their homes into the desert, being washed in the Jordan, and confessing their sins - indicate the need for interior cleansing, but they do not yet bring a cleansing from sins that only God can accomplish. Only the coming of Jesus Christ and the baptism in the Holy Spirit will bring the repair of the relationship with God, the true forgiveness of sins, and the gift of a new life (cf. Ezekiel 36: 25-26). Only learning the truth about oneself can arouse a desire to change our situation, reject evil, confess our sins. If this is not the case, we tend to blame others for evil: political structures, society, politicians, the past, life circumstances: "Others are guilty." Everyone who came to John confessed their sins, literally proclaimed them publicly to experience the purification. All those who come to John are sinners. Likewise, we, also sinners, while waiting for the second coming of Christ the Lord, confess our rebellions, iniquities, to receive cleansing, forgiveness of our sins from Him. Jesus – Almighty, Stronger than us comes to the reality in which we live, not in illusions, but in truth! He is God, and He can do infinitely more than we think, understand, ask. We can entrust to him everything that worries and torments us.
In every moment of my life I can appeal to my baptism, to the power of the Holy Spirit working powerfully in me. If we want it with all our hearts and let the Holy Spirit act, we will experience true conversion! Jesus Christ invites us today to take this path again and to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. Clothed with his power, we can live as new people, subject not to sin, but to grace, love and justice. Jesus is Stronger, Stronger than our sins, weaknesses, evil and the mentality of this world. He alone has the power to kindle the fire of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the fire of love! You believe this? In the current troubled and difficult time, we hear different voices, including through the mass media. If we read, accept, listen to them without reflection, trusting thoughtlessly and without confronting with the Gospel, then they drown out and weaken the voice of the word of God in us: " Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths " (Mk 1:3). The voice of this world can set a trap for us, directing us towards ways that are winding, false and deceptive. The choice is ours. We can plunge into the perverse, often manipulated waters of information, events, scandals, news, curiosities that today's world offers us, or we can plunge into the clear waters of the Holy Spirit, His love, beauty, goodness, into the life of God himself. The Word of God, in which Christ's voice resounds, is inspired by the Holy Spirit. It brings us the Spirit. So why not reach for them in order to listen to this voice that convinces us of God's love, saving presence, forgiveness and wisdom that leads us to salvation?
It is worth plunging into this presence of the Word in prayer, rejecting everything that drowns it out, in order to prepare in our hearts the way for the Son of God, the coming Lord. Thanks to Jesus, for us sinners, there can always be a new "beginning", the beginning of conversion. Today we no longer stand by the waters of the Jordan to confess our sins, we stand before our Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for love for our sins and rose again so that we might have eternal life. Grateful for our baptism, "bathing" in the Holy Spirit, in which we have received the forgiveness of sins and the new life of God's child, let us remember that the Spirit of the risen Christ lives and burns in us, the Spirit that gives life, who calls in us not only Abba - Father, but also: Maranatha! Our Lord, come! Through our mouths, this Spirit testifies to the world that Jesus, the Son of God, came into this world to save sinners. It is the most beautiful and most important Good News for all and the beginning of conversion for all people!
Finally, let us listen to the words of the monk Barsanuphius. Let them be an encouragement for us to base our lives firmly on Jesus Christ in this season of Advent, which is always a "new beginning: "We have a mighty Brother Jesus - to strengthen us. Strong, that he should distribute gifts to us – (cf. Lk 11:22). The Supreme Commander, that he may fight the enemies who fought against us. A doctor to heal our suffering. The author of peace, so that he would reconcile the inner and outer man in us who submitted to him. The host to feed us with spiritual food. Living to resurrect us. Merciful, have mercy on us. Merciful, to take pity on us.A king, that he may make us kings also. God to make us like Him. Everything is in Him, He knows what you need before you ask Him, and He Himself will fulfill the requests of your heart, if you do not distract yourself. Praise Him always, for He is to be glorified forever. Amen.”
Until Tomorrow
fr. george