Third Sunday of Advent, Year A        

Isaiah 35:1-6,10; James 5: 7-10;
Matthew 11:2-11

 

Where would we find a more poignant story than that of John the Baptist in today’s gospel?   In last Sunday’s gospel, we read of John heralding the coming of Jesus, acknowledging him publicly. Today, John is in prison and what question does he send his disciples to ask Jesus? “Are you the one who is to come, or have we to wait for someone else?”   John’s whole credibility is at stake here.  Has his life been poured out for nothing?

This was the Jesus whom John had baptised, protesting it should have been the other way round, the Jesus acknowledged by a voice from heaven, declaring him to be “My beloved son in who I am well pleased.”

One wonders also if Elizabeth spoke to John of her expericnce when Mary visited her in the Visitation. Surely she did.  Did Mary and Joseph take Jesus to visit Elizabeth, Zachary and John?  Or did they meet up in Jerusalem?  There is so much we don‘t know!

In prison, was John the Baptist in a state of depression?  It makes me think of Mother Teresa who experienced many years of dark night.   It should be a comfort to us that holy people such as these have crises of doubt.  Let us take comfort, too, in the answer Jesus sent about himself, quoting the prophecy of Isaiah also read today: he tells them to go back and tell John what they hear and see: the blind are cured, as also the lame, the lepers, the deaf; the dead are raised and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor, concluding, “Happy is the one who does not lose faith in me.”

This wonderful John, extolled by Jesus thus: “a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.” 

Our poor world and our own country, becoming more and more  irreligious!
How can we help?  There is a lovely prayer in “Dominican Praise” for the Thursdays in Advent:

“May we bring to every circumstance and setting the
justice, gentleness and peace that the Incarnation
of your Word has caused to sprout up and blossom
upon earth.”

Let us make this our endeavour.

Helen Ryan op

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