What a feast of readings the Church puts before us at Mass today! I like the idea of God as a potter, eternally creating and shaping us; I like too the appearance of our good friend, John the Baptist, passionate and difficult as ever, urging us to prepare a way for God in the desert of our hearts. December can be a bad month for many, even if not afflicted by war, poverty or disease. It is good to be reminded that it is in the desert experiences of our lives that God can draw closest to us. May he speak tenderly to all of us and open the royal way that leads to himself.