Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery and put on the splendor of glory…for God will show all the earth your splendor: you will be named by God forever the peace of justice and the glory of God’s worship. Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight because of the twofold celebrations unto which it is directed: the commemoration of Christ’s first coming (Christmas) which also acts as an anticipatory celebration of his second coming and the end of times (the end of the ages). Consequently, Advent becomes the season for living out the virtue of hope that defines our identity as a people destined for a life with God in the company of the angels. The virtue of hope is so essential to us human beings that we cannot live without it. It is hope that gives meaning to our life of daily struggle. As Christians, all the things that we can hope for in life are summed up in the one BIG hope towards which our celebrations during these days of Advent are geared: salvation by our God. This is a longing that has characterized the human person ever since he was created by God. It is a longing that becomes accentuated during those times when we are beset by life’s challenges.
In today’s First Reading from the Book of Prophet Baruch, the prophet exhorts Jerusalem to rise from her mat of misery, discard her mourning attire, and raise her head up in anticipation of her restoration to glory. Jerusalem had undergone a lot at the hands of her enemies. Her children had been beat up, trodden underfoot, and carted into exile. The institutions in which she had taken pride got reduced to empty shells. Her beautiful vineyards and orchards became overran with thorns and thistles and became barren lands. Jerusalem, the city of peace and God’s earthly dwelling place and throne was reduced to a ghostly shadow of what she used to be. Jerusalem, at one time the envy of the nations and God’s place of rest was reduced to rubbles. Laid waste and robbed of her former glory, the only thing that Jerusalem could do was to mourn while lying in her bed of misery. However, the Lord was not going to let Jerusalem to continue lying in ruins. Because of his love for Zion, the Lord was going to gather her scattered sons and daughters and bring them back to their land. The Lord was going to revive the glory of his holy mountain and restore peace and prosperity to Jerusalem. The Lord had decided to come visit Jerusalem once more and bring her salvation. But for that salvation to be realized, the community had to prepare herself by turning away from behaviors and attitudes that had led to her alienation from the Lord. The community had to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord their God.
In the Gospel reading, John the Baptist begins his ministry by calling the people to baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It was a call that was indicative of the role that his ministry was to play: preparing the world for the coming of the Messiah. The coming into the world of the Messiah which had been the subject of the preaching of the prophets of old was fulfilled in the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh, was the bringer of the salvation which the world had been expectantly awaiting. It was in the ministry of Jesus that the fullness of life that had eluded the universe since the rebellion in the Garden of Eden was to be finally realized. It was in the ministry of Jesus Christ that the coming to rest in God (Sabbath rest) was to be fully realized. It was in the life and ministry of Jesus that creation was to become fully reconciled to God. It was in Jesus Christ that humanity was able to discard the yoke of its bondage to sin in order to enjoy the freedom of the children of God (cf. Romans 8:21). By calling on the people to turn away from their rebellion and come back to God, the Baptist’s goal was to help the people prepare themselves for their salvation which was close at hand.  
The Lord God is a savior, and his visitation is always expectantly awaited. The proclamation of Jerusalem’s imminent salvation (and thus restoration to her former glory) was good news to the ears of the prophet’s community. It was a proclamation that revived its hopes and gave it a reason to look to the future with confidence. Like Jerusalem, we too have become recipients of the good news of our salvation that has been won for us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our waiting to commemorate the coming of the Lord is thus filled with joy and happiness because of the knowledge that our salvation has already been attained in Jesus Christ.