Mk 1:1-8
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]. 2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;/ he will prepare your way./ 3A voice of one crying out in the desert:/ ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,/ make straight his paths.’ ” 4John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were
being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their
sins. 6John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. 7And
this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I
am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.8I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Reflection:
A voice of one crying out in the desert.
We live in a noisy world. News reporters seem to be shouting at us all
the time. We are bombarded with news, information, skills, gadgets, and
technologies. We are full not only of noise but also of activities,
advice sessions, programs, seminars, inputs.
We need to go to the desert sometimes,
to feed on simply “locusts and wild honey”—listening to the sounds of
the rain, the wind, the insects, and our own heartbeat—and to be
“clothed in camel’s hair”—wear our conscience, our intuitions, and our
inhibitions. We have to shut out the noise and raise the volume of
nature and our soul. There we will find repentance and consolation, meet
God and his grace, and touch our hearts and our innermost longings.
Spend a lazy Sunday, doing nothing, wearing loose old clothes,
listening to nothing, and watching nothing.
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