John the Baptist tells his followers: "I baptize you with water for repentance" (Mtt 3: 11). Christian baptism is an adoption into Christ Jesus: "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father! it is that very Spirit bearing witness without spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ - if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him." (Rm 8: 15-17) Advent is a season of preparation and repentance. We realize that left to our own devices we can fall back into attitudes of presumption and entitlement just like the Jewish people were in the time of John the Baptist: "Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our ancestor'; for I tell you , God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham." (Mtt 5: 9) If we engage with the message of Advent, we will discover afresh not just the mystery of the Incarnation but also the dignity that we are called to as missionary disciples to follow Jesus and bring forth fruit for the Kingdom. In this way Advent can be for us a season of transformation and increased holiness that results in a harvest of joy.
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