Advent: Preparing the Way of the Lord

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Thursday of 4th Week of Advent, Year C, December 23rd, 2021
Texts: Malachi 3:1-4; 4:5-6; Psalm 25:4-5ab.8-9.10.14; Luke 1:57-66
Today's first reading tells us about preparing the way of the Lord. We may ask the question: which way is the way of the Lord? The ways of the Lord are justice and righteousness (Gen. 18:19). Then, to prepare the way of the Lord means to make clear the understanding of justice and righteousness. We will be taught what it means to be just and righteous. This is clear in the words of prophet Micah: "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (6:8). The messenger is coming to tell us what is good, to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly before God, so that on the day of the Lord there will be no excuse. The ways of the Lord also include keeping His commandments. This means the messenger is coming to teach us the commandments and guide us to keep them.
The sending of messenger to prepare the way of the Lord is an opportunity to gain salvation. God always gives us opportunity to make amends. Prophet Malachi says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a curse.” Advent has been a moment to avert the wrath of God.
Prophet Malachi also tells us what the Lord will do at His coming. He is going to purify us and refine us. Prophet Malachi puts it thus: "For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord." When He has purified us and refined us, we will be pleasing to God. This means He is going to reconcile us with God; He is coming to lead us in the path of holiness, love, justice, righteousness and truth.
We read in today's gospel how the prophecy of Malachi, in the first reading, is fulfilled in the birth of John the Baptist. His naming ceremony is accompanied with signs and wonders to signal the presence of God with him. That no one bore his name among his kindred signals change in tradition, change in the way of doing things, change in orientation. We can say that with John the Baptist God is asking us to make a departure from a way of life and accept a new way of life. This becomes clear in his preaching of repentance. Preaching of Repentance is a call to a new way of life, a call to change one's way of life. Hence, with John the Baptist, we are called to repentance, new way of life.

Thank You, Lord, for always giving us opportunity to attain salvation, grant that we may not miss any opportunity we have to attain salvation; we beg You to give us the grace of renewal. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke