We are called to prepare the way for Jesus to come into ours and other people’s hearts so we can experience the joy of salvation, healing, wholeness and holiness for which we long and gives real meaning to our lives. But, how do we do that when we are imprisoned into a world of sin as was St. John the Baptist?
Most likely, our immediate response might be not to replicate what St. John the Baptist did by going out into the desert to preach against those who openly sinned, given what happened to him. And yet, we are called by our Baptism to live and spread the Gospel message about Jesus’ teachings, suffering, death and resurrection. St. James’ letter sheds some light on our hesitancy in that transformation to be like Jesus takes time. We need to be patient, but not paralyzed.
Gaudete Sunday represents the halfway point of Advent in that we rejoice in Jesus’ Christmas coming of salvation, and on track for His second coming that brings a final judgment for all. We are called to prepare the way for Jesus to come into our hearts so we may prepare other’s hearts to experience the joy of salvation (the healing, wholeness and holiness we all long for) which gives us meaning to our lives.
To accomplish this, we need to ask ourselves the question St. John the Baptist had his disciples ask of Jesus in St. Matthew’s Gospel: “Are You the One who is to come or should we look for another”?
His cousin probably knew the answer because he had proclaimed Jesus at the River Jordan when he baptized Him. But then again, John did not follow Jesus as did the Apostles and disciples like us. He had to trust what he heard at the Baptism from God the Father and what Jesus would tell John’s disciples.
We have the advantage through our initiation into and practicing of our faith to accept and believe the scriptures. They divulge to us from the beginning of the Bible that someone handpicked by God would save us from our sin nature if we promised to follow Him. If we do this, we have all the joy we need to accept Jesus as our savior.
Let us take this third week of Advent to see how we have transformed ourselves since the first Sunday of Advent by practicing peace and offering justice to all we meet from Advent’s second Sunday. If we can see that as a path toward our journey, then not only can we rejoice about Jesus’ coming, but we can see the insight of the fourth Sunday of Advent which fulfills God’s promise of a Messiah in Jesus, the Christ.
Reading 1: Isaiah 35: 1-6a, 10
Reading 2: James 5: 7-10
Gospel: Matthew 11: 2-11
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