The reflection underlying the readings of the third Sunday of Advent according to the Latin liturgy. Gospel passage – John 1, 6-8.19-28
Gospel Reflection John 1,6-8.19-28 – Audio
Fr. Jinu Jacob, Vatican City
We are passing through the last days of Advent. We are preparing spiritually and materially for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. At this time when the world is going through many crises, especially in the terrifying days of intolerance and war in the Holy Land where Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection were experienced, many of us may wonder what is the relevance of celebrating the Lord’s birth even today. This is a question that has been raised even though there have been many dark periods in the history of the Lord’s church for two thousand years. Does the Lord come to visit his people today?
Today’s readings guide our efforts to find answers to these questions. The mother of the church awakens our convictions today not only in the light of the New Testament but also in the light of the prophecies of the prophet Isaiah.
This Sunday’s readings present us with two themes: hope and consolation. The Old Testament people’s hopeful expectation of the Messiah is well known to us through the Scriptures. One of the most important passages about hope is the passage we read from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The first words give strength to the words of the happy prophet who is anointed to bring good news to the afflicted: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me. The joy, hope, and joy imparted by the divine presence are described as the basis of the prophet’s life to boldly complete his prophetic mission. Even as he continues to mention each of the duties assigned to him: comforting the brokenhearted, releasing the captives, setting freedom for the captives, and comforting the mourners in various prophetic missions, the prophet Isaiah shares only one idea of moving forward with hope.
The prophet Isaiah prophesies the good news of salvation that provides God’s presence beyond worldly power. It was written centuries ago and is not a word picture that has been lost in the dust, but words that still give us the true meaning of the coming of the Savior. Abiding in God is the basis of lasting happiness. The words of the first reading give us a great lesson that nothing becomes unbearable when God is our center even in painful situations. That is why we read in the book of Deuteronomy. : “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). This reminds us of man’s call to love God with all his heart. It is not a command to ask, but a command to give. If we want to experience the true freedom, happiness, and openness of life, Prophet Isaiah invites us to live in the presence of God in this way. The first reading also gives us the conviction that the restlessness, dissatisfaction, greed and sorrowful attitude that affects us comes from the absence of divine presence.
Through Paulus Schlieha’s epistle, Mother of the Church reminds us that Christianity is the virtue of hope. Paulus Schlieha reminds us that those who realize that Christ is our only happiness, hope and salvation, and who find Him and own Him in life, can experience happiness and peace. Through his epistles, he shares the joy that Paul always lived a Christ-oriented life in the life of Slieha only because this great message of hope was included in his life.
In his epistle to the church in Philippi, Schleiha writes: “I desire to die and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1, 23). Then Schleiha writes: “I count all things as loss, but the wisdom of my Lord Jesus Christ is more precious. (Philippians 3:8). In this way, on the third Sunday of Advent, Paul gives us an invitation to find the presence of Christ, who shed a ray of hope in our lives. How much are we preparing for the birth of Christ, which gives us the joy of hope? Paul Schlieha also gives us self-examination questions to see if we are ready to open the doors of our hearts for him.
In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist reveals to us what kind of attitude helps us to experience God and recognize him in Christ.
John the Baptist is the one sent by God to bear witness to Christ. The revelation of the life of the Baptist is told by the evangelist through a question: “Who are you?” When the priests and Levites sent by the Jews from Jerusalem asked the Baptist this question to reveal his identity, today’s gospel offers us a call to recognize and live according to the ‘Christian identity’ that this advent brings forward in our lives. These words reveal to us that it is necessary.
The Baptist’s answer, ‘I am not the Christ,’ contained the whole of his life. The Baptist reveals his life to be a witness of hope and consolation by humbly accepting the great responsibility that God has placed in his life. The whole glory of his life is embodied in the words of John the Baptist, who reveals to others the light he has seen: “I am the voice of God”. The Baptist reveals the humility of his life so as not to lose the light of his life by pride. The humble words of the one who is strong in faith, the humble words of the one who comes after me: I am not worthy to untie the shoe of his sandal. The words of the Baptist, that to untie the knot, one must bend his knees to the edge of his feet and bow his head, but even that is not qualified, is a perfect example of humility.
This is also an opportunity for us to examine our conscience and ask ourselves if we are happy with the success of our brothers or if we are jealous and envious. Therefore, John teaches us that only the humble can accept God into their lives and only the humble can speak about Christ without being tainted by their pride. Unfortunately, we are missing the divine rays of hope today. From trying to lead people to us and not to Christ!
May the words of St. Augustine help us in our preparation for the Lord’s Resurrection: “Let us strive to imitate the Baptist, who knew that he was nothing but a lamp, and stood humbly asking for help from the Almighty, fearing that it might be extinguished by the wind of pride.”
#Advent #message #comfort #hope #Vatican #News
2023-12-16 23:47:56
