While the server of the web site is being restored, the Sunday Reflections at the web site will temporarily be posted here.
Inspire in Us the Practice of Good: Reflections for Spiritual Growth and Self-Renewal, 3rd Sunday of Advent (A) - December 12, 2010
Liturgical readings
Isaiah 35:1-6, 10
Psalm 146
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
"Go back and report to John what you hear and see."
St. John the Baptist and Jesus our Lord. Both prophets; both martyred very harshly. John prepared the way for Jesus; Jesus prepares the Way for all of us. John decreases himself, that Christ may increase in the world; Jesus on the other hand commends John for his great role in the history of our salvation. How little we are compared to the stature of these two great men; and yet, we are also called to follow their footsteps in the many ways we can.
By our baptism in the Catholic Church, we share in the prophetic mission of Jesus. A prophet is one who speaks to God's people - one who announces the Good News, and one who denounces the evil of his times. John's prophetic mission was to help people turn from their evil ways and prepare themselves for the coming of Jesus. Then Jesus' prophetic mission was to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and a year of favor from the Lord. By our baptism in Christ, we become a prophetic people. Our prophetic mission as people in ordinary life, is to be the "salt of the earth and the light of the world".
When we imagine what happened to the prophetic life of St. John the Baptist and that of Our Lord, we may say, "how can we follow in their footsteps since our lives are not as pure and as simple as John and Jesus were?" Though there are surely others in the Church who are called to make this same witness as John and Jesus (those who are gifted to become martyrs), our prophetic witness can be as simple as opting to follow and obey the stance of the Church as regards respect for life. By simply respecting life in all its stages (from womb, to its end in the tomb), we stand with Christ and the Church in the mission to see life as sacred and a gift from God.
Points for reflection: How do we already show our respect for life in all its stages? What other steps can I take so that we can show our love for God by our respect for people, who are not of the same class, educational background, culture, or belief as we are?
