Each year on the Second Sunday of Advent, we meet the figure of John the Baptist. Famous for his austere lifestyle, people understood he was like the prophet Elijah, the great prophet that it was believed would come again to announce the coming of the Messiah. So people were going out in their droves to meet John the Baptist. They wanted to get ready to meet the Messiah.

It’s obvious why the Church focuses in Advent on John the Baptist. He is the one who points to Jesus, telling us to get ready, to prepare.

In today’s Gospel, what can we hear John the Baptist saying about how to prepare?

First we are to convert. The word “conversion” or “repentence” is used three times in today’s Gospel so it is a central point. Now, we can think of someone converting from one religion to another, but in the Gospel today it’s an invitation to each of us to convert from a way of living that isn’t focussed on God to a life that puts God in the first place. I read an interesting article during the week about autism. It seems an important element in being with a child with autism is to keep on saying to the child before each activity, “look at me”. Maybe this is what is meant when John the Baptist speaks of conversion. It’s his way of reminding us that God is saying to us: look at me.  We can easily find ourselves distracted looking at all kinds of things except God. We’re thinking of being successful, having money, getting our own back on someone, seeking pleasure in ways that are not healthy… This Second Sunday of Advent, God is saying “look at me”, turn around, focus in on true values. Some people end up being so intrigued by progress and prosperity that they lose sight of God completely. Others still believe in God but in their day to day, forget about him. So this “look at me” is an Advent call to conversion, to really pay attention to God in our lives, see how best we can do that, what little steps we can take.

The second point about preparing for the coming of Jesus into our lives at Christmas but also every day, is that we need to be careful that we don’t presume that just because we are Catholics and come to Mass, that’s enough. The Pharisees and Sadducees were known for taking seriously the Jewish laws and the rituals of that time. But Jesus tells them clearly they needed to go deeper. It wasn’t enough to say they belonged to the people of Abraham as if the membership card was enough. So, it’s a reminder not to be complacent.

A third point about preparing for the Messiah is that we need to produce fruits of our conversion. It’s not enough to say we are converting. We must show fruits of it. It must become evident in small and big ways in our life. Last week I was in London for a conversation between the Catholic Church and the Salvation Army. One of the Salvation Army people told the story of a woman, Mrs. King, who was the manager of a local launderette. When people came into the launderette to wash their clothes, Mrs. King would give them any assistance they needed and would chat with them while they waited for the wash cycle to complete. Often the conversation would turn to religion. Did they go to Church? If not, would they like to come to her church? She would explain to them about the Sunday worship, and meetings during the week, including a relaxed gathering for older people on Thursday afternoon. Some people accepted her invitation and she was always very hospitable. The point is that for Mrs. King, her faith was active in practical service and in speaking about what her faith meant to her.

So this Sunday, let’s ask ourselves, what steps can I take to live today’s Gospel with its call to conversion, maybe giving time to prayer, morning and evening prayers, learning more about my Catholic faith – there’s plenty of material available on line and, above all, looking around me to see how best can I serve my neighbour. This is indeed the best way to prepare.