Readings for Second Sunday of Advent

[Joe_Kelley]

The first Reading:

3* A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4* Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 40:3-5.

The Gospel:

3* the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight–" 4* John the baptizer appeared * in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 1:3-4

In the first the way is to be prepared in the wilderness; in the second the voice is calling out in the wilderness. I don’t think that either had punctuation in their original form; so either interpretation would have fit. Wonder why the difference was created by whoever added the punctuation?

 

[Gorgias]

In the first the way is to be prepared in the wilderness; in the second the voice is calling out in the wilderness. I don’t think that either had punctuation in their original form; so either interpretation would have fit. Wonder why the difference was created by whoever added the punctuation?

Prophecy is one thing; interpretation of prophecy is quite another! In the Gospel reading this weekend, we see that the inspired Evangelist interprets “in the wilderness” as applying to the voice, and not to where we should prepare to find God.

I would say that this teaches us two good lessons: prophecy is not science, and shouldn’t be treated as such; moreover, it’s vitally important that prophecy be interpreted by those to whom God entrusts interpretation (after all, with the wrong interpreter, who knows what bad interpretations will be produced?)…!

 

[DanielJT]

I know that Mark (or whoever the author is) was setting up what would be a theme throughout the rest of his Gospel showing that Christ came to transform sinners into His people.

Another translation is “Make straight the way” which is played in in the original translation whenever there is a moral urgency by Mark saying something likened to, “straightway”.

All of Mark is about Jesus coming to “prepare” and “straighten” things out and Mark places an urgency on the audience to get it together and come to understand who this really is (Son of God).

The lines you are referring to set this theme up.

Not sure if this helps, but I can hope.

 

[teeboy]

The reading from Isiah is prophecy of The Messiah and his Church. The Church would spread what the nation of Israel had around the world. Isiah was an advisor to Israel’s Kings and lived about 700 years before the Messiah.

Mark is recounting Isiah and showing how the prophet’s words waere fullfilled in Christ and his Church, which retains the sacrament of baptism.

This is what I get from this Sunday’s readings.

 

[Beachcomber]

I know that Mark (or whoever the author is) was setting up what would be a theme throughout the rest of his Gospel showing that Christ came to transform sinners into His people.

Another translation is “Make straight the way” which is played in in the original translation whenever there is a moral urgency by Mark saying something likened to, “straightway”.

All of Mark is about Jesus coming to “prepare” and “straighten” things out and Mark places an urgency on the audience to get it together and come to understand who this really is (Son of God).

The lines you are referring to set this theme up.

Not sure if this helps, but I can hope.

I like your observations. The Gospel of Mark is fast-moving and that increases the feeling of urgency.