John the Baptist clearly acknowledges his role as the one who has been chosen by God to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, the Christ. Isaiah had spoken - and we read it more fully in the First Reading - about a "messenger" who would come to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. John prepared the people for Jesus' coming by urging them to full repentance for their sins and washing them clean in the waters of the Jordan as a sign of their desire to be reconciled with God before the coming of the Messiah - Christ. In Isaiah the Lord is described as "coming with power" but at the same time he is pictured as a gentle shepherd "feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast". What a beautiful picture of God and of Jesus, His Son! Let us then rid ourselves of everything that turns us away from God and run into the arms of the Good Shepherd. There is no doubt at all about the welcome awaiting us.