PREPARE FOR THE IMMINENT COMING OF THE LORD
Introduction: We are in the third week of Advent, intensively preparing for the coming of the Lord. In the first reading prophet Isaiah assures the people of Israel that the Lord God will come to their rescue. He speaks of a time, when Messiah comes, the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall hear and the lame will be able to walk. In the second reading St. James in his letter urges us to be patient with regard to the second coming of the Lord. In the Gospel, John the Baptist sends messengers to enquire whether Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah. Jesus invites them to observe: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear and the dead are raised. John invites all of us to have a change of heart and to repent. Advent is the time to clear our doubts and welcome the Lord earnestly.
First Reading: Isaiah 35: 1 to 6
Second Reading: James 5: 7 to 10
Gospel Reading: Matthew 11: 1 to 11
* First reading is from the book of prophet Isaiah. Isaiah foretells the return of the people of Israel from the Babylonian captivity: The Lord God rescues them. Isaiah urges us that we too should look beyond our present sorrows and disappointments with a firm hope in the Lord God's love and saving actions in our lives. He encourages us to cheer up and not to be afraid because the Lord God will save us.
*Second reading is from the letter of St. James. The Apostle invites us to be patient: The quality which all of us find it hard to possess. He urges all of us to be loving and patient with one another and to be patient regarding the Lord's final coming. He gives us the great example of the prophets who underwent various sufferings but always went about patiently.
Are you the one who is to come? Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. John the Baptist's doubts and predicaments regarding Jesus and His mission are narrated. All of us have some unfulfilled hopes and unanswered prayers. John too faced a problem regarding the identity of Jesus. "Are you the one or shall we look for another?" is the question put by John to Jesus through his messengers. Hopes of John the Baptist regarding Jesus as the promised Messiah are not entirely fulfilled. John is imprisoned by Herod. In the prison, he is confused about Jesus and His mission. The question put by John is raised by people down the centuries and many raise this question even today. Jesus' answer to the messengers of John is to observe the happenings around them: Have a reality check. Jesus asks them to tell John concerning their experience of Him: Sight to the blind, lame walking, dead are raised to life and the good news being preached to the poor. Are there such experiences in our lives that would make us commit to Jesus and His mission? Today Jesus asks us to look around and see the presence of God and His benevolent power among us. Look around the world and observe the universe and experience the mighty manifestations of His love and care and the great power over the world, the stars and the galaxies in the ever expanding universe. When our hopes are broken and our dreams are shattered, let us not get disappointed and disheartened but rather place our total trust in the Lord. In this context Dietrich Bonhoeffer says: "A prison cell, in which one awaits, hopes - and is completely dependent on the fact that the door to freedom has to be opened from outside, is not a bad picture of Advent." S. Marabole says: "Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies and do unto others as you would have done unto you."
Conclusion: The question John puts as we heard in the Gospel is our question too. Is Jesus the Messiah: The only redeemer for us? Is His Gospel enough for us? Do we find in Jesus, the answer to our deepest longings? Advent is the time to address these questions. The ancient Romans had a God called Janus. January comes from the name of that God. He is depicted with having a head with two faces. One face looks backward and the other looks forward. The season of Advent is something similar. It looks backward to the first coming of Jesus which happened more than two thousand years ago. It also looks towards the future of Jesus' coming at the end of times. We are in between these two events. Our work is not to sit and watch but rather to continue the Mission of Jesus that He entrusted to us at His first coming.
May the Lord Jesus bless you during this Advent that you may firmly believe that He is indeed the Messiah and dispel all doubts from your heart. Amen.
(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph. December 14, 2025." Thanks.)
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