Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Today's Mass Readinga

Today's readings from the Book of the Prophet Malachi and from the Gospel of Luke both have to do with John the Baptist. In the first reading from Malachi, we here about Elijah coming before the day of the Lord. In the Gospels, Jesus explains that John the Baptist has come in the spirit of Elijah. In the Gospel reading from Luke, we hear about John the Baptist's birth, which anticipates Jesus' own birth. What's more, we find John the Baptist's message, his means of preparing the way of the Lord, centering on purification and repentance. In today's reading, we hear about the day of the Lord as a time of purification, calling for repentance. Of course, Malachi is talking about the end of all things, and this passage has purgatorial undertones, but the importance of purification in preparation of the Lord remains valid.

This brings us to Malachi's statement that the Lord will come to His Temple. Jesus, the Lord, comes into the Temple of God on multiple occassions in the Gospels. As an infant, as a child, and as an adult. As an adult, he purifies the Temple by turning over the tables of the money changers. At another level, though, the very nativity of the Lord may be seen as God entering His Temple, since the creation in Genesis may be seen as depicting the entire world as God's Temple. And we are approaching the celebration of the Lord's nativity. In fact, long before the Roman Empire was Christianized, long before Christians replaced the pagan Roman holiday on December 25 with a celebration of the true Son of God, Jesus's birth, early Christians argued that December 25th was the day of the dedication of the Temple, and therefore a worthy time to celebrate Jesus' birth, representing the New Temple.

In a very real way, we are the Temple of the Lord. Jesus comes to dwell within us at our baptism, and at every reception of the Eucharist. We should purify ourselves, prepare ourselves, for every reception of the Eucharist, which likewise purifies us. But, in this Advent Season, we should especially take the time to become pure in preparation for the Lord's advent at Christmas. Let us take John the Baptist's advice, and repent, turning back to the Lord. In many ways the entire Christian life is a continual repentance, a continual turning away from that which distracts us from God, and a continual turning back to God. Let's make a special effort this Advent Season to turn to God in prayer and in the good deeds we might do to those we encounter in our day to day lives.

Jeff Morrow