Happy Advent, You Brood of Vipers!

This is the third Sunday in Advent. The reading is Luke’s account of John the Baptist’s words to the people that sound very harsh and not what we like to hear as we await the birth of the Christ child. But that preaching must have been compelling as evidenced by the crowds that gathered to be baptized by John. He calls the people to change, to turn, to repent, and he gives specific examples of how a repentant person behaves, taking care of the poor and avoiding such things as extortion. It is an indication that our own liberation is integrally tied to the liberation of others, and it offers guidance for how we need to live.