杏MAP导航 at Angelus: Strive to become credible voices who testify to the coming of Jesus
By Linda Bordoni
Taking inspiration from the Gospel reading on this second Sunday of Advent, 杏MAP导航 Francis drew attention to the figure of John the Baptist and described him as 鈥渢he voice of one crying in the desert.鈥�
At the , the 杏MAP导航 reflected on the seemingly contradictory images of 鈥渢he voice, a means to speak鈥� and 鈥渢he desert, an empty place where you do not communicate.鈥�
鈥淭hey are joined by John the Baptist,鈥� he said, explaining the meaning of the desert in the Apostle's preaching.
From his position near the Jordan River, symbolically close to where his people entered the promised land many centuries earlier, the desert from where John the Baptist preaches is a place of silence and essentials 鈥渨here someone cannot afford to dwell on useless things but needs to concentrate on what it is indispensable to live.鈥�
This, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥渋s an always relevant reminder: to proceed on the journey of life, we need to be stripped of the more because to live well does not mean being filled with useless things, but being freed from the superfluous, to dig deeply within ourselves so as to hold on to what is truly important before God.鈥�
Silence and sobriety, the 杏MAP导航 added, be it in words, the use of material possessions, or engagement with media, should be integral elements in the life of the Christian.
The voice of authenticity
Focussing on the second image - the voice - 杏MAP导航 Francis highlighted its connection to silence, 鈥渂ecause it expresses what matures inside, from listening to what the Spirit suggests.鈥�
鈥淚f someone does not know how to be quiet, it is unlikely they will have something good to say; while, the more attentive the silence, the stronger the word,鈥� he said.
What place does silence have in my days?
Finally, the 杏MAP导航 suggested we ask ourselves: 鈥淲hat place does silence have in my days?鈥�
鈥淚s it an empty, perhaps oppressive, silence? Or is it a space for listening, for prayer, for guarding my heart? Is my life sober or filled with superfluous things?鈥� he said.
Even if it means going against the tide, he concluded, 鈥淟et us value silence, sobriety and listening.鈥�
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