SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (B)

John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mk 1:1-8

PROPHET, POET, AND PRAGMATIST

St. John the Baptist is the last prophet of the OT. The word prophet reminded me of a classification for certain kinds of persons. The classification was prophet, poet, and pragmatist.

The prophet is someone who is not afraid to speak out. He is not afraid of calling a spade, a spade. He will speak the truth even if it will cost him his head. John the Baptist dared tell Herod that it was not right for him to take the wife of his brother, Philip. He was not afraid to call the religious leaders of Israel, a brood of vipers.

But the prophet does not speak out in order to hurt people. He does not speak out in order to antagonize them. No. He speaks out in order to call people to change and by changing their ways, also change the prevailing situation. The job of the prophet is a thankless job. Who wants to create enemies?

We need prophets during this time of Advent. We need prophets to break the bubble of our pride. We need prophets to make us realize that we are not as good as we think we are. We need prophets to tell us exactly what’s wrong with us.

There may be no one who will willingly be a prophet to us. We may have to ask somebody to play that role. We may need to ask that person to do us a great deed of kindness by opening our eyes and telling us where we need to change.

The poet is someone who sets possibilities before us. He sees the ugliness of the present but tells people that things don’t have to remain that way. He points to a beautiful future that all of us can create together.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a poet. He witnessed, nay he experienced first hand the oppression of black Americans at the hands of white Americans. It was ugly. But he knew in his heart that things don’t have to be that way. He created a dream in his heart and then shared that dream with America. He said: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. “

We need a poet during this time of Advent. We need a poet who can make us see the ugliness of sin in our lives. We need a poet who can persuade us that things don’t have to be that way. We need a poet who can make us see that good is beautiful.

Where do we get a poet to inspire us? Attend the simbang gabi. The homilies may inspire you. Buy an inspirational book. Read the bible. Read the life of a saint. Look around you and get your inspiration from the good example of others. Or you may just have to be a poet to yourself. Use your imagination. Imagine what kind of person you want to be.

The pragmatist is someone who gets things done. He delivers. Things don’t remain in the drawing board. He turns plans into reality.

Lee Kwan Yu is a pragmatist. He turned Singapore into a prosperous city-state. They say that the former Clark Airbase is even bigger than Singapore. Yet 1 Singapore dollar is equivalent to 32 Philippine Peso.

We need to be a pragmatist during this time of Advent. We may want to undertake some changes in our lives. But there is a real danger that our good intentions remain only good intentions. Hanggang salita. Walang gawa. Good intentions are important. They are the first step. Unless you take the first step, you will always remain where you are. But we need more than the first step in order to get somewhere, right?

How do we become a pragmatist? First, decide what behaviour you want to change. Only one behaviour. Not two. For example, I am quick to criticize or scold my children. Second, imagine what new behaviour you want as replacement. For example, I will be on the lookout for a good behaviour of my children and commend them for it. Third, at the end of the day or at the beginning of a new day, check how many times you have been able to practice the new behaviour. And finally, give yourself a Christmas gift if the new behaviour becomes a habit by Epiphany.

St. John the Baptist has been described as “a voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” By December 25, will Jesus Christ find a prepared path into your heart?