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Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Today is both the Sunday Before Theophany and the Eve of the Feast of Theophany. The Gospel Lesson is from the Evangelist Mark chapter 1:1-8, a passage with the theme of preparation for a new beginning, coincidentally occurring shortly after the Civil New Year when we have a tradition to make various resolutions to better our lives. Promises made; some kept others not!

In this Gospel Lesson, St. Mark relates the adult life of Jesus beginning with His Baptism, as a gospel or good news – the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The role of preparation, the main theme of the Sunday Before Theophany, is fulfilled by John the Baptist who announces the public appearance of Christ and seeks to prepare the people, all of us, to accept Him into our lives.

The preaching of John the Baptist is already the beginning of the good news of Christ by anticipation. John proclaims to us, as he did to those of his time, to “get ready for the Lord, make a straight path for Him to travel! The one who will come after me is much greater than I am”. This is the powerful message of this Gospel! What a spiritual challenge! The words of John the Baptist are especially relevant for us as we end one year and begin another.

We are entreated to begin the New Year by setting down as the foundation for it the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are asked the important question, can we prepare the way of the Lord by focusing on the life of Christ as God’s eternal good news for us? Can we make His paths straight by believing in Him more fervently and by following His teachings more closely?

These are the challenges of this Gospel and the Feast of Theophany. What a glorious hope and spiritual goal for us – to be worthy of the love of Jesus Christ!

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