Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent 2024

In the readings today we see how God has sent the fiery John the Baptist to prepare us for the coming of Christ. I was reminded of when I recently made fresh pretzels. They were actually fairly simple to make except for one step, the pretzels needed to be boiled in a solution of lye or baking soda before baking. This step is what gives the pretzels their distinctive brown luster and tangy flavor. It’s a tricky step as well. If you boil the pretzels for too long, they can end up tasting like soap. But the pretzels need to be boiled in order to be cooked properly. In some ways, this is what John the Baptist has come to do. “For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye.” He is sent by God to prepare us, to give us the bitter medicine, the boiling in the base, that we need in order to cook properly. For us today, John the Baptist can represent the asceticism of Advent, of the deep cleaning we need, or rather the deep cleaning we desire in order to receive Christ into our hearts in a special way this Christmas.