December 8, 2024
Revised Common Lectionary
Baruch 5:1-9 or Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 1:68-79
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6
Lectionary for Mass (RC)
Baruch 5:1-9
Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3)
Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
Luke 3:1-6
Is real change possible?
This question often arises in conversations about war, climate change, racial justice, gender-affirming care, and countless other challenges where solutions can feel distant—at times, almost out of reach.
Yet in today’s Gospel reading from Luke, when John the Baptist receives the word of God in the wilderness, his message is unambiguous: not only must things change, but they will change—both for individuals and the world. He preaches “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3), calling his hearers to a profound transformation of heart and life. At the same time, Luke connects John’s ministry to Isaiah’s vision of a radically renewed world:
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
(Luke 3:5–6; cf. Isaiah 40:3–5)
Change is coming—prepare the way!
In an Advent sermon, Lutheran Pastor Barbara Lundblad once likened John the Baptist to the oboe in an orchestra. Just before a concert begins, the musicians and audience alike grow silent as the concertmaster signals for the oboe to sound a single note. The oboe’s clear, penetrating voice becomes the standard to which every instrument must tune itself. Only when all are in tune does the conductor step forward, and the music begin to unfold as the composer intended.
John the Baptist is the oboe of Advent. His voice pierces the silence, proclaiming that salvation is near, and we are called to attune both our hearts and our actions to his message. His call to “prepare the way of the Lord” (Luke 3:4) invites not only personal repentance but also readiness for the sweeping transformation God will bring to the world.
John’s proclamation intertwines the spiritual changes we must make as individuals with the social and cosmic renewal God promises. He calls us to prepare—both within ourselves and in the world around us—for God’s masterwork.
As we hear the oboe’s note this Advent, the question is not whether change is possible, but whether we are ready to join in the symphony. Will we tune our hearts, our lives, and our world to the melody of God’s coming salvation?
Yes, change is possible—and it is near.
A Hymn for Today: “A Morning Star Draws Near”
This hymn by Mary Louise Bringle, FHS, responds to the preaching of John the Baptist, drawing in part on Psalm 126, which is appointed for today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass. The text’s pairing with the tune MORNING SONG draws attention not only to John’s call to repentance but also to his proclamation of the coming day of salvation.
A morning star draws near the earth
To hail the rising dawn.
“Prepare a pathway for our God!”
Proclaims the servant John.
All you, baptized in cleansing streams,
Repent and turn from sin.
A Living Fountainhead now springs;
New heav’n and earth begin!
We shall not sow our fields in vain,
Nor tend, that others reap.
Our vines shall bloom, Jerusalem.
Our hearts, no longer weep!
On all the holy mount of God,
No evil shall destroy.
Our mouths shall fill with laughter’s grace;
Our tongues, with songs of joy!
“Prepare a pathway for our God!”’
Proclaims the servant John.
Our long-awaited Daystar breaks,
And soon shall come the dawn!
Text: Mary Louise Bringle, b. 1953, © 2006, GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission under OneLicense # A-729857
Tune: MORNING SONG
Image Credit: John the Baptist preaching in the desert, JESUS MAFA, Cameroon, 1973
“Word and Song: A Lectionary Reflection” is written by the Executive Director of The Hymn Society, Rev. Dr. Mike McMahon. For his full bio, click here and scroll down to the “staff” section.
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