Second Sunday of Advent

The Second Sunday of Advent - The Voice of the Baptist

Have you heard of Sr Cristina Scuccia?

Well if the name does not ring a bell, then you may have seen her on You Tube in a clip of the Italian version of The Voice

If you are unaware of the format of this talent competition, four judges in oversized red chairs turn to the audience, with their backs to the act on stage. They therefore judge the talent on the basis of what they hear.

What happened of course is well known Sr. Cristina, religious sister in full modest habit and veil sang her heart out a modern pop song to the rapturous applause of the standing and cheering audience as one-by-one the judges pressed the hot button of approval and turned around and - to their astonishment and utter surprise - saw Sr Cristina belting out the song unperturbed, with full gusto!

This tells us something of the sung or spoken word, the power of the human word, unhampered by image, costume, make up and visual effect. To be an effective speaker on radio, one does not need to have any special glamorous style or appearance to be an effective communicator. How often do we hear a song and a singer without knowing or needing to know their appearance? The message we hear or the manner of their speaking engages us sufficiently to gain our respect and our attention.

When we think of the Israel of the time of John the Baptist it is the voice of John the Baptist who speaks and whose voice is heard in the wilderness and this is the fulfilment of a centuries old prophecy. The voice of the Lord speaks through John and the people respond. Word gets out and people flock in their thousands to hear him speak and in the process of repentance they speak their sins aloud.

Te readings invite is to listen to the voice of the Lord in the stillness of the wilderness. The voice of others can influence us for good or ill. The voice of conscience prodding us to act, or the voice of a doctor or dentist requiring us to change certain aspects of our diet or lifestyle, or the voices of social commentators of the voices of commercialism. To whom do we listen? Who or what influences us?

The voice of God today speaks to us in the readings

A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness

a way for the Lord.

Make a straight highway for our God

across the desert.

Let every valley be filled in,

every mountain and hill be laid low.

Let every cliff become a plain,

and the ridges a valley;

then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed

and all mankind shall see it;

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

..

Shout with a loud voice,

joyful messenger to Jerusalem.

Shout without fear,

say to the towns of Judah,

‘Here is your God.’

Here is the Lord coming with power,

his arm subduing all things to him.

The prize of his victory is with him,

his trophies all go before him.

He is like a shepherd feeding his flock,

gathering lambs in his arms,

holding them against his breast

and leading to their rest the mother ewes.

 

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In the Psalm:

I will hear what the Lord God has to say,

a voice that speaks of peace,

peace for his people…

Or the voice of St Paul: . So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace.

 

Or the voice of John the Baptist:  ‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’

 

To listen to the voice of the Lord means to turn away from sin and to turn to God, it is a double turning, like the judges of The Voice, who turn away from the audience because they have made their own decision, and who turn to see and hear the voice for themselves.

This is what Advent requires of each person, a personal individual response and decision to at last listen to his voice – and act.