Let us just imagine a following situation. You got a possibility of
organizing a huge marketing operation. You have unlimited financial means and
possibilities, but you have to organize the promotion or marketing of faith or
religion. You can go wherever you wish, to the schools, molls, public places,
halls, shops and theaters just wherever you wish to say only one fundamental
truth: "who was and constantly is Jesus Christ? The main object of the
marketing is Jesus Christ.
But, an immediate question arises: Is it not too risky? It seems to be
not a very good idea, not at all.
Firstly because, you will have none of the very attractive promotions and
new products to offer, rather the old stuff, repeated for last 2 thousand
years. Packaging is also rather not very attractive, since it is mainly
composed by 10 commandments and some old fashioned moral teaching which seems
to be not very popular.
Secondly it seems to be a difficult task to get your attention. Many will
rather say: "I have too much to do and too much to care for, so I don’t
have time for this kind of operation". Others will be rather too shy or
intimidated to publicly speak about their faith. Even if we can find a group of
volunteers who will be able to go and to perform this kind of marketing company,
the effects could be somewhat mediocre, because who would like to listen to,
who will be interested at all in this, Gospel message? The presence of the
disciple of Christ preaching His Good News on the streets and in the public
places will be intimidating or even offending and finally this idea will be
classified as a fiasco and too idealistic to be performed in our laicised
world.
We get used to the situation that God is tightly closed in the tabernacle
and the most comfortable way of expressing our faith is on Sunday in the church
and not in our daily life.
And in today's Gospel John the Baptist in a very simple but straightforward
(direct) way is calling
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,"
Prepare the way of the Lord, but what for? Do these words have any sense
and meaning 20 centuries later? What does it mean "Make straight the paths
of your life"?
Is Jesus not present in my life? Don’t I come for the Mass every Sunday
(o, maybe almost every Sunday)? Do I not convert twice a year during Advent and
Lent penitential services, confessing sincerely my sins? Do I need more? What
for do I have to convert or to change my life? If I seriously admit that I need
a conversion is it not to admit that I am living a messy and disordered life.
What for do I have to convert or to change my life if I think it is good,
comfortable and fitting me perfectly?
The answer for this question is only one: I have to convert from my style
of live and accept the way of Christ because I cannot and will not save myself,
because He is the Saviour and the Redeemer and without Him I am unable to reach
Heaven. I have to "make the crocked way of my life make straight",
because otherwise they will lead me nowhere. I have to fill our every valley of
my greediness and to level every mountain of my pride, because otherwise my
selfishness and my pride will devour and destroy me. I have to convert because
only Christ is able to liberate me from the slavery of sins. Without Him I can do nothing.
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