In the Gospel for this Sunday, we are told of the call of John the Baptist and of his ministry to prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah. His great message is, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill made low.”
John and the Blessed Mother are the two great figures of the season of Advent. Both came before Christ and represent the entire Jewish people and their preparation for and longing for the coming of the Savior of the world. John is considered the last of the Old Testament prophets, the only one who would actually see the coming of the Messiah and meet him.