Saturday, December 15, 2007

Thrid Sunday of Advent (A)

Lectionary:
1st Reading: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 (God Himself is coming to save you)
Gradual: Psalm 145, R/ Isaiah 35:4
2nd Reading: James 5:7-10 (Do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon)
Acclamation: Isaiah 61:1 or Luke 4:18
Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11 (Are you the one who is to come?)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. The Lord is near

Sent his disciples- No doubt whatsoever that Jesus was the Messiah; for this was the burden of his preaching at the Jordan. If this was the case, why did he send his disciples? He did so because many of them though had heard about the works of the Lord had not seen it for themselves and were not fully assured. Therefore in order to confirm their faith John sent them directly. Already knowing the intentions of John the Baptist, Jesus answers the question indirectly by referring to His works. Thus, confirming the faith of the disciples and the testimony of John.

How strong is our faith? When we send ourselves before the Altar of Sacrifice to receive the Body and Blood our Jesus in the Eucharist, are we fully convicted of His presence hidden under the veil of the sacrament or are we still asking questions?

Are you the one who is to come- This is a plain question showing what John wanted, that is the knowledge of Christ as the Redeemer. He did not ask for any proof or sign; in his final inquiry, we see a declaration that our Lord’s simple assertion was enough to command unconditional belief in Him.

Is our faith ready? Do we still ask questions, or signs, or proofs? “Blessed are those who have not yet seen but believe”. St. Peter J. Eymard once said that “tomorrow will be too late”. How true. We do not know the hour or the day of the Lord’s coming- not the end of the world, but rather death; our own end. When the time comes are we ready to meet Him with our unconditional believe that “He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God”? St. Peter Julian Eymard’s reminder is probably founded on the warning given by the prophet Malachi. He tells us, “who will be able to endure when the day comes? Who will be able to survive when He appears? He will like a strong soap, like a fire that purifies metal…” On that day, the Lord will appear as judge and “testify at once… against all who do not respect (Mal 3:5)” Him.

Go back and tell- If we look at Luke’s account in 7:21 we see that it was “at that VERY time” when the messengers were corresponding with Him that “He cured many people of their diseases, He cast out evil spirits & restored sight to the blind”.

When we see the works of the Lord, do we “go back and tell” our loved ones, friends, co-workers about the power and mercies of our great Lord and Savior? Are we being a testimony to His greatness?

Does not lose faith- Also translated to scandalize or offended. Why would Jesus say this? Why would people be scandalized, offended or lose faith because of His good works? To understand this we need to look at the Book of the Prophet Isaiah who foretold Jesus way of life to be characterized by “poverty and lowliness, suffering and death”. Jesus had to say this because the Jews had expected the messiah to come in pomp and power instead of humility and poverty; which by the way was a great hindrance to their faith.

Is humility and suffering a hindrance to OUR faith today as it was in the time of the Jews? Today’s society focuses much on the individual, on power, control, wealth, et cetera. We need to learn from John’s joyful reception of the Lord into his own life so that in time of adversity, or even in the face of the secular world, we may receive the consolation of having that joy.

Conclusion- The later part of the Gospel which discusses about John’s greatness is something that gives us an opportunity to reflect upon. John entered the world in a state of grace, growing daily in grace and virtue.

We came into the world in the state of original sin, BUT by the holy waters of baptism, this sin has been taken away and replaced by sanctifying grace. Have we lost this grace through mortal sin? When was the last time we made satisfaction for it through the Sacrament of Penance? To paraphrase the cry of the Baptist, turn away from thoughtlessness and forgetfulness of God to piety and fear of God! To be holy and godly Catholics, we need to try to prevent sin. This is what Jesus meant when he proclaimed that “the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is” even though no one greater than him has ever been seen.

Is it possible to live holy and godly lives in a culture of sin and death? In the Second Reading, James advises us how to go about living holy and godly lives for the Lord in expectation and anticipation of His return. It is important to note that patience is an important virtue that we need to adopt in our lives because no one knows the exact hour the Lord is coming. It is with patience that we can, like the Baptist, persevere in the knowledge that Jesus is the Redeemer and that He WILL come to gather us back to Himself. Amen.

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