STRAIGHTEN THE PATH
John the Baptist came to straighten the path for Jesus (Mk 1:3). There was a practice of widening the highways, cutting down and leveling the hills, filling dips and valleys, straightening the crooked roads, and thus removing all hindrances to a smooth ride where the king would pass. In a spiritual sense, John came to remove the hindrances of sin to clear the path for the everlasting King of Israel. So, John had to level the spiritual pride of the Jewish leaders, straighten the crooked ways of the rulers and the priests, and fill up the spiritual valleys of the sinners and the Gentiles.
REFLECTION
Because of our human weakness, we accumulate hinderances for Jesus and Holy Spirit in our lives. Like we need to take a bath, clean the room, and wash the dishes, we also need to cleanse our souls. For this, the sacrament of reconciliation helps us. Let us make use of the opportunity for confession and renewal of ur lives.