For the second week of Advent, the gospel text is once again one that urges preparation in the hearts and souls of the faithful for the imminent arrival of the Messiah.

Whereas the living Jesus proclaimed this counsel in last week's text, this week, the gospel reading focuses on the message John the Baptist preached before Jesus entered into his public ministry. All four gospels are unanimous in their presentation of John the Baptist as the recognized precursor to and herald for Jesus the Christ. The Baptist's power and popularity were evidently so great that the first Christians found fully embracing John's ministry a safer route than downplaying the importance of his role. The Jewish historian Josephus testifies to John the Baptist's popularity and persuasiveness, recording that it was o…