Third Sunday in Advent (year A)  [14 December 2025]

 

May God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! "Rejoice always in the Lord... the Lord is near." The message of this third Sunday of Advent is the announcement of the joy of Christmas approaching. Advent teaches us to wait with patient hope for Jesus, who will surely come. 

 

*First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (35:1...10)

This passage comes from Isaiah's Little Apocalypse, known as the "Minor Apocalypse" (cc34-35), probably written by an anonymous author, and  tells of the joyful return of Israel from exile in Babylon. We are in the period when the people suffered the sack of Jerusalem and spent over fifty years away from their land, experiencing humiliation and suffering that would discourage even the strongest. Isaiah, who lived in the 6th century BC during the exile in Babylon, reassures the frightened people: 'Behold your God: vengeance is coming, divine reward. He is coming to save you'. The result will be the liberation of the suffering: the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap for joy, the mute will shout for joy. The people have suffered years of domination, deportation with humiliation and many trials, including religious ones: a time that discourages and makes them fear for the future. The author uses the expression 'God's vengeance', which may surprise us today. But here, vengeance is not punishment on men: it is the defeat of the evil that oppresses them and the liberation that God gives. God intervenes personally to save, redeem and restore dignity: the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap and the mute will shout for joy. The return from exile is described as a triumphal march through the desert: the arid landscape is transformed into fertile and lush land, as beautiful as the mountains of Lebanon, the hills of Carmel and the plain of Sharon, symbols of abundance and beauty in the land of Israel. This journey shows that even the hardest trials can become a path of joy and hope when God intervenes. The desert, a symbol of hardship and trial, is thus transformed into a path of joy and hope thanks to God's intervention. The liberated people are called 'redeemed' and liberation is compared to 'redemption' in Jewish law: just as a close relative would release a debt or redeem a slave, God himself is our 'Go'el', the Relative who frees those who are oppressed or prisoners of evil. In this sense, redemption means liberation: physical, moral and spiritual. Singing 'Alleluia' means recognising that God leads us from servitude to freedom, transforming despair into joy and the desert into blossoming. This text reminds us that God never abandons us: even in the most difficult moments, his mercy and love free us and give us hope again. It shows how the language of the Bible can transform words that seem threatening into promises of salvation and hope, reminding us that God always intervenes to free us and restore our dignity.

Main elements +Context: Babylonian exile, Israel far from the land, anonymous author. +Isaiah's Little Apocalypse: prophecy of hope and return to the promised land. +God's vengeance: defeat of evil, not punishment of men. +Concrete liberation: the blind, deaf, lame, mute and prisoners redeemed. +The desert will blossom: difficulties transformed into joy and beauty. +Redemption: God as Go'el, liberator of the oppressed. +Alleluia: song of praise for the liberation received. +Spiritual message: God intervenes to free us and give us hope even in the hardest moments.

 

*Responsorial Psalm (145/146, 7-8, 9-10

This psalm, a 'psalm of Alleluia', is a song full of joy and gratitude, written after the return of the people of Israel from exile in Babylon, probably for the dedication of the rebuilt Temple. The Temple had been destroyed in 587 BC by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. In 538 BC, after the conquest of Babylon by the Persian king Cyrus, the Jews were allowed to return to their land and rebuild the Temple. The reconstruction was not easy due to tensions between those returning from Babylon and those who had remained in Israel, but thanks to the strength of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the work was completed in 515 BC, under King Darius. The dedication of the new Temple was celebrated with great joy (Ezra 6:16). The psalm reflects this joy: Israel recognises that God has remained faithful to the Covenant, as he did during the Exodus. God is the one who frees the oppressed, breaks the chains, gives bread to the hungry, gives sight to the blind and lifts up the weak. This image of God, a God who takes the side of the poor and feels compassion ('mercy' indicates as if the bowels were trembling), was not taken for granted in ancient times. It is Israel's great contribution to the faith of humanity: to reveal a God of love and mercy. The psalm expresses this by saying that the Lord supports the widow and the orphan. The people are invited to imitate God in the same mercy, and the Law of Israel contains many rules for the protection of the weak (widows, orphans, foreigners). The prophets judged Israel's fidelity to the Covenant on the basis of this behaviour. At a deeper level, the psalm shows that God frees us not only from external oppression, but also from internal oppression: spiritual hunger finds its food in the Word; inner blindness is illuminated; the chains of hatred, pride and jealousy are broken. Although we do not see it here, this psalm is actually framed by the word 'Alleluia', which according to Jewish tradition means to sing the praise of God because He leads from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light, from sadness to joy. We Christians read this psalm in the light of Jesus Christ: He gave bread to his contemporaries and continues to give the "bread of life" in the Eucharist; He is the light of the world (Jn 8:12); in his resurrection, he definitively freed humanity from the chains of death. Finally, since man is created in the image of God, every time he helps a poor person, a sick person, a prisoner, a stranger, he manifests the very image of God. And every gesture made "to the least" contributes to the growth of the Kingdom of God. A catechumen, reading about the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, asked, "Why doesn't Jesus do this today for all the hungry?" And after a moment she replied, "Perhaps he is counting on us to do it."

Important elements to remember +Historical context: psalm written after the return from exile and the reconstruction of the Temple (587–515 BC). +Central theme: the joy of the people for God's faithfulness and their liberation. +Revelation of God: God is merciful and defends the oppressed, the poor, the weak. +Commitment of the people: to imitate God in works of mercy towards all the oppressed. +Spiritual reading: God frees us from inner chains (hatred, pride, spiritual blindness). +Alleluia: symbol of the passage from slavery to freedom and from sadness to joy. +Christian reading: fulfilment in Christ, who gives true bread, enlightens, liberates, saves. +Image of God in man: every gesture of love towards the most fragile makes the image of God visible. +Christian responsibility: God also counts on our commitment to nourish, liberate and support those who suffer.

 

*Second Reading from the Letter of St James the Apostle (5:7-10)

Christian tradition recognises three figures named James who were close to Jesus: James the Greater, son of Zebedee and brother of John, with an impetuous character, present at the Transfiguration and in Gethsemane; James, son of Alphaeus, one of the Twelve; James, 'brother/cousin' of the Lord, leader of the Church of Jerusalem and probable author of the Letter of James. The text highlights a fundamental theme for the early Christians: the expectation of the coming of the Lord. Like Paul, James always looks to the horizon of the final fulfilment of God's plan. It is significant that at the very beginning of Christian preaching, the end of the world was most ardently desired, perhaps because the Resurrection had given a taste of future glory. In this expectation, James repeats a crucial invitation: patience, a word which in the original Greek (makrothyméo) means 'to have long breath, to have a long spirit'. Waiting for the coming of the Lord is a long-distance race, not a sprint: faith must learn to endure over time. When the early Christians realised that the parousia was not coming immediately, waiting became a true test of fidelity.

To live this endurance, James offers two models: the farmer, who knows the rhythm of the seasons, trusting in God who sends rain 'in its season' (Deut 11:14), and the other model: the prophets, who endured hostility and persecution to remain faithful to their mission. James asks Christians to have stamina (perseverance/patience) and a steadfast heart ("Strengthen your hearts"). In verse 11, which follows this text, James also quotes Job, the only case in the New Testament, as the supreme example of perseverance: those who remain steadfast like him will experience the Lord's mercy. Patience is not only personal: it is lived out in community relationships. James takes up Jesus' teaching: do not complain about one another, do not judge one another, do not murmur. 'The Judge is at hand': only God truly judges, because he sees the heart. Man easily risks confusing wheat and weeds. The lesson is also for us: we often lack the breath of hope, and at the same time we give in to the temptation to judge. Yet Jesus' words about the speck and the log remain relevant today.

Important points to remember: + Of the three James, it is James the Greater, the son of Alphaeus, the 'brother' of the Lord, who is the probable author of this Letter, which reflects the central theme of waiting for the coming of the Lord. + Patience is repeated several times and is understood as 'long breath', an endurance race. + The initial Christian expectation was very intense: it was thought that Christ's return was imminent. + Two models of perseverance: the farmer (trust in God's timing) and the prophets (courage in mission). + v.11 not in this text but immediately after John

cites Job as an example of endurance: the only citation in the New Testament, a symbol of perseverance in trials. +Community mission: do not judge, do not murmur, do not complain because 'the Judge is at the door'. He invites us to live knowing that only God judges rightly. +The danger today is also a lack of spiritual breath and the risk of judging others.

   

*From the Gospel according to Matthew (11:2-11)

Last Sunday we saw John the Baptist baptising along the Jordan and announcing: 'After me comes one'. When Jesus asked to be baptised, John recognised him as the expected Messiah, but the months passed and John was put in prison by Herod around the year 28, at which time Jesus began his public preaching in Galilee. Jesus began his public life with famous discourses, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes, and with many healings. However, his behaviour was strange in the eyes of the people: he surrounded himself with "unreliable" disciples (publicans, people of different origins and characters); he was not an ascetic like John, he ate and drank like everyone else, and he showed himself among the common people; he never claimed the title of Messiah, nor did he seek power. From prison, John received news from those who kept him informed and began to doubt: 'Have I been deceived? Are you the Messiah?' This question is crucial because it concerns both John and Jesus, who was forced to confront the expectations of those who awaited him. Jesus does not answer with a yes or no, but quotes the prophecies about the works of the Messiah: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor receive the good news (Isaiah 35:5-6; 61:1). With these words, Jesus invites John to see for himself whether he is doing the works of the Messiah, confirming that yes, he is the Messiah, even if his manners seem strange. The true face of God is revealed in his service to humanity, not in accordance with expectations of power or glory. Finally, Jesus praises John, saying that he is blessed because he "does not find cause for scandal in me." John sets an example of faith: even in doubt, he does not lose confidence and seeks the truth directly from Jesus himself. Jesus concludes by explaining that John is the greatest of the prophets because he paves the way for the Messiah, but with the coming of Jesus, even the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John, emphasising that the content of Christ's message exceeds all human expectations: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us".

 

Important elements to remember +John the Baptist announces the Messiah and baptises along the Jordan. +Jesus begins his public life after John's arrest, in Galilee, with speeches and miracles. +Jesus' "strange" behaviour: he associates with everyone, even the most marginalised, does not claim titles or power, eats and presents himself like ordinary people.+John's doubts: he sends his disciples to ask if Jesus is truly the Messiah. + Jesus' response: he cites the prophetic works of the Messiah (healings, liberations, proclamation to the poor).+ John's active faith: he does not remain in doubt, but asks Jesus directly for clarification. + Joy and surprise: the face of God is revealed in the service of man, not according to traditional expectations. + John as precursor: the greatest of the prophets, but with Jesus, the smallest in the Kingdom is the greatest. + Final message: Christ is the Word incarnate, the fulfilment of God's promises.

 

*Here is a quote from St Gregory the Great in Homily 6 on the Gospels, commenting on the episode: "John does not ignore who Jesus is: he points to him as the Lamb of God. But, sent to prison, he sends his disciples not to know him, but so that they may learn from Christ what he already knew. John does not seek to be taught, but to teach. And Christ does not respond with words, but with deeds: he makes it clear that he is the Messiah not by saying so, but by showing the works announced by the prophets." He adds: "The Lord proclaims blessed those who are not scandalised by him, because in him there is greatness hidden beneath a humble appearance: those who are not scandalised by his humility recognise his divinity." This commentary perfectly illuminates the heart of the Gospel: John does not doubt for himself, but to help his disciples recognise that Jesus is the expected Messiah, even though he presents himself in a surprising and humble way.

 

+Giovanni D'Ercole

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary [8 December]

Biblical texts: Gn 3:9–20; Ep 1:3–12; Lk 1:26–38 May God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! Instead of commenting on the readings, I propose a theological and spiritual meditation on the Immaculate Conception, starting with St Paul and referring to the tradition of the Church and the liturgy.

1. Saint Paul and Mary: a hidden but real bond Although Paul speaks almost nothing directly about the Virgin Mary, his teaching on the election, holiness and predestination of Christians (Eph 1:4-11) deeply illuminates the mystery of Mary. Saint Paul affirms that all the baptised are chosen, holy and immaculate. Applying this to Mary, we understand that what is true for the whole Church is realised in her in a perfect and anticipated way.

2. The mystery of the Church sheds light on the mystery of Mary In the development of theology, especially in the early centuries, Mary was understood in relation to the Church: Mary is what the Church is called to become. What is partial in us is perfect in her. She is 'the first on the journey': first in time, first in perfection. Mary is 'first' in two senses: chronologically first to welcome Christ, first to share in his Passion, first to enter into glory with body and soul. Qualitatively: no one welcomed Christ with greater purity, love and freedom. Her unique grace does not separate her from us, but manifests what God wants to accomplish in the whole Church. The Immaculate Conception is not an isolated privilege, but the full realisation of the vocation of every Christian: Mary is preserved from sin in view of Christ's merits. We are saved from sin through Christ's merits (baptism, sacraments, conversion). The trajectories are the same; in Mary they are only anticipated and brought to perfection thanks to her total obedience and total abandonment to God's will: Mary did not do the divine will but lived entirely in God's will. Herein lies the key to her life: tempted like everyone else, including Jesus, she defeated Satan by choosing to live always and completely in the Father's will, and for this reason she is now a sign of sure hope for us all.

3. Why is Mary Immaculate? The reason is profoundly simple: to be truly the Mother of God. To love Jesus for what he really is — true God and true man — Mary had to be totally free from sin, totally open to love, capable of welcoming God without hindrance. The Immaculate Conception is a gift of love: God formed her this way out of love for his Son and for us, so that Mary might become the Mother of the Saviour and the Mother of the Church. St John Damascene writes: "As Eve cooperated in the fall, Mary cooperated in the redemption: immaculate, she brought life to the one who was to give life to the world." And St Bartholomew Longo, recently canonised, observes: "The Immaculate Conception is not just a title, but a living mystery: God created her entirely pure to make her the Mother of the Redeemer."

4. Mary precedes us to show us our destiny. Mary does not crush, humiliate or distance us: she shows us what we will be in glory; she is a foretaste of what the Church will become; her holiness is a promise of ours. In her we see the goal of Christian life. Mary freely receives the angel's announcement and her "fiat" opens the door to salvation. Today, too, the Church, like Mary, is called to proclaim Christ, to bring his love into the world, to say her "yes" in history. God needs our hands, our eyes, our arms, our hearts: like Mary, we are called to be bearers of light, and we can be so to the extent that God's will lives in us as the protagonist of our entire existence.

5. What does it mean to be “immaculate” today? For us, it does not mean being without sin, but welcoming God’s action in our lives. It means living open to grace, saying our daily “yes”, allowing ourselves to be purified and transformed by the Spirit, becoming transparent in order to show Christ in the world. The Immaculate Conception thus becomes a vocation and a journey. "The truth about the Immaculate Conception seemed the most difficult for me to accept... when I finally accepted it, everything became clear: my faith found meaning." (Testimony reported on the website CatholicConvert.com in the story of Delores, a woman who recounts her conversion to Catholicism).

Important points to remember: +Mary is understood starting from the Church: what is true for all the baptised is perfect in her. +Immaculate because she is the Mother of God: in order to love her Son fully, she had to be totally free from sin. +"First on the journey": first in time and in the quality of love and holiness. +Her grace is promised to us: what she already lives, the Church and Christians will live fully in glory. +Shared predestination: Mary is preserved from sin; we are saved from sin. +Mary's "fiat" as a model: God calls, but waits for our freedom; the yes opens the way to mission. +Being immaculate today: it means welcoming God, allowing ourselves to be purified, becoming transparent to his light. +Mary takes nothing away from God: she is the "echo of God"; to venerate her is to honour God's work in her. +Mary points to our destiny: in her we see what God wants to accomplish in each of us. +The Immaculate Conception is a gift of love: from God to Mary and from Mary to the world.

*Here is a very brief historical summary of the main medieval defenders of the Immaculate Conception: St. Albert the Great (1200-1280) – Dominican theologian; open to the idea of Mary's preservation from original sin, but without defining it definitively. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) – Dominican theologian; he argued that Mary was redeemed 'after original sin', therefore not immaculate from conception. Duns Scotus (1266-1308) – Franciscan theologian; main defender of the Immaculate Conception. Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment, thanks to the merits of Christ anticipated by God. William of Ockham (1287-1347) – Franciscan; supporter of Scotus' position, albeit with some philosophical nuances. Scotus' central idea: Mary immaculate from the moment of conception, preserved by God's grace thanks to the future merits of Christ, anticipating the official dogma defined in 1854.

+ Giovanni D'Ercole

Crisis of the titanic spirit

(Mt 11:2-11)

 

«What did you go out to contemplate in the desert? But what did you come out to see?» (vv.7.8.9).

The Lord wants to help us to become deeply aware of the stretch of road travelled and of what is still ahead of us.

We are not already in possession of Salvation. We have to reflect on the true Exodus still to be done.

Baptist and Jesus never attended court palaces. This is clear (v.8).

The spirit of hedonism or of domestication persuades and attracts us, but it softens and weakens the frankness, the vitality of every path.

Instead, Christ proposes another movement of Conversion: a further excavation, which distinguishes his proposal from that of the Precursor.

«Truly, I say to you, one greater than John the Baptist has not arose among the born of women; but the smallest in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him» (v.11).

For a journey of authentic and finally mature growth - sons in the Son - it is appropriate to free ourselves from every model of perfection.

Adopting a one-sided way does not lead to any blossoming, rather to making things worse.

In the positive (and intimate) itinerary there is no single road. Life is variety, change, resurrection experience.

At that horizon, the greatest obstacles in responding to the personal Call by Name arise precisely from identifications.

Resolute recognitions is always artificial. They do not awaken us from swampy situations, nor do they let us find the gold of mysterious, intimate, wise inclinations.

Existence and the people themselves are in fact not “either/or”. And the path of Life in the Spirit accepts the shades of typeface.

They can sometimes appear as confusing notes, typical of personalities to be corrected. This is how it was imagined until not so long ago; a situation that, however, tended to impoverish and level us.

The ancient devout idea - which has conditioned us so much - was in fact linked to the primacy of external moral "coherence" [correspondence between ideas and actions].

Christ replaces this banal thought with a completely different focus: the correspondence between inner states and their manifestation.

In short, a «little in the kingdom of the heavens» can also be a misfit and disturbing, an eccentric and reprehensible restless - but who would like to grow.

So he does not cover his own internal struggles.

Not infrequently circumstance smiles, moralisms, or the same good manners, veil ideas, impulses, opposite habits that somehow, sooner or later, will find their way to become protagonists.

Not to mention - even in religion - of the dirigiste attitudes, which we do not know well which "double" they hide.

They are not true linearity, authentic order; much less "discipline".

The Master dreams that his apostles turn away from rash judgments and abstract ideals. Too easy. They do not make us perceive clearly.

In short, we must suspend clichés about love for God and others, and the think coarse about ourselves - as well as absorbed opinions.

Contrasts are natural.

Discomfort is the primordial language of the soul that calls us to displace our gaze, to activate the spirit towards new trajectories to explore.

Only in this Exodus will we dock at the Promised Land, a virgin territory to be discovered. To be redone every day.

Not by cutting the Roots horizontally, but starting from them.

 

 

[3rd Sunday of Advent (year A) Gaudete, December 14, 2025]

(Mt 11:2-11)

 

Crisis of the titanic spirit. Perplexity of the Baptist

(Mt 11:2-6)

 

This is the so-called crisis of the Baptist. Ultimately, it is the crossroads of our own experience in the growth of Faith.

The name John means God-is-merciful, but here the last of the ancient prophets and forerunner of Christ is scandalised by excessive Mercy: without conditions.

Jesus performs all positive signs of recovery. No condemnation, no punishment: this is the prodigious Word!

The people of the righteous are now of a different nature - disconcerting, as they also include unbelievers.

As with Zacchaeus-Matthew [Lk 19:1-10]: those who are ashamed to show themselves and present themselves are not punished, but are rehabilitated in society. 

The bowels of God's mercy give life to those who have lost it.

Christ does not break, he fixes: even those who find themselves off the path 'according to religion' - and feel repugnant, repellent even to themselves.

He censures the vengeance (v. 5) of the messianic oracles of the First Testament [cf. Is 29:20ff. 61:2]: because the authentic 'Land that will give birth to shadows' (Is 26:19), the true 'parched ground that becomes springs of water' [Is 35:7 - it is not clear why this is excluded from the liturgy] will not be dirigiste or forensic.

Perhaps we too would not expect so many positions of concern, but the Master throws everything up in the air and replaces the appearances of the stone Sanctuary.

A sacred reversal: because in fact it promoted an unfair, opportunistic, corrupt, unscrupulous mentality.

A way of thinking useful to cunning comedians, to the strong and the quick; humiliating for those outside the circle.

It was not a Kingdom of God that was holed up there, but rather the camp of the 'great', who ultimately bent where the wind blew - in some cases of manipulation, even today sometimes expropriating people of themselves.

No one would have expected a cleansing of all the spiritual toxins that shaped the pious life of those who love power.

Jesus recovered with lightness, because his Word, his Works and his high Discernment awakened the most personal sides.

People's own characters did not lead them to regret kingdoms.

The intimate vocation invites us to get involved - igniting the love that turns the page, not the love that angrily plants itself in the traps of fear.

The Call by Name frees us from the shackles of artificial entrapments, which prevent us from continuing naturally.

 

Devoid of a titanic spirit, the new Rabbi awakened resources and courage that the least among us did not even suspect they had as an unexpressed gift.

The Master tirelessly stimulated their exceptional - even decisive - contribution to the history of Salvation.

He encouraged the impulses of those whom common devout opinion considered sick or unbalanced because they did not conform - but who had truly multifaceted gifts.

Warm and propulsive faces.

The young Master favoured dreams of transformation, not just of shelter - all with the usual colour (pyjamas or armour).

He welcomed the unleashing of natural sides and other identifications, more elegant and soft, or strange, fascinating in their uniqueness.

He taught not to give up and plan and practise, but to listen, welcome and accept oneself - waiting for new energies: profiles aroused by moments of need, by contact with one's own deep states.

It did not diminish the sense of Mystery brought about by the right time, or by the very annoyances that provide us with valuable insights [more than the boomerang of ascetic voluntarism, as ideal as it is artificial].

 

He made us rediscover the convincing charm of the beauty of life in subtle tones, without the exaggeration of continuous strong colours.

At that time, lacerations were also caused by nationalism, which accentuated wounds and altered the balance of the human family, on which the Father dreamed of 'resting'.

Well, Christ also praised the slowness of the less angry. Because the gentle pace brought out the inner root, the specific Mission and appearance even of the voiceless.

In this way, not with peremptory acts of muscle, but spontaneously, from within.

All this, with a transparent and sacred authenticity - starting from the custody of one's own qualitative Calling, brought to awareness without too many strokes of genius or strength.

Only when ready.

It stimulated the discovery of the codes of the unexpected, knowing how to wait for new readiness and evaluating... because those who begin to see their own story with new eyes are already on the threshold of change.

 

Being content with the old song [or joining in with the glamorous anthem] would not have developed the discernment of broad horizons and ways, regenerating even if only carried in the heart.

We would have been content with some disembodied fantasy, or a return to the usual ancient village, or somewhere else nearby.

The heaviness of ideas and conformism, clichés, traditions, guilt, activism and moralistic judgements caged personalities.

Never before Christ would the subjugated people have imagined the Most High as anything other than an energetic and spiritual vampire, full of plans and expectations of formal perfection.

Instead, thanks to the Son, they could discover that the Father blesses the personal and social recovery of opposites.

It is precisely eccentricities that complete us and stimulate [not only ornamentally] the conviviality of differences.

Saying, for example, 'this is our culture and way of doing things!' or 'we must do this and be à la page' limits our operational and innovative faculties and does not surprise or amaze anyone.

On the contrary, one-sidedness always accentuates external and internal enmity and limits achievements and independence of action (based on discrepancies).

Jesus also invited John the Baptist to ignite his inner world and change his outlook - because by focusing only on problems and controls, solutions are no longer visible.

You don't go back to being a child; you don't turn intruders into jewels. You don't encounter your own infinite part.

 

In short, he wanted him to personally undergo the Conversion from religiosity to Faith that he preached to others.

 

 

The Roots: the true Friend and the great enemy

 

John the Baptist, Jesus, the courts: differences in exodus

 

    'What did you go out into the desert to see? What did you go out to see?' (vv. 7-8-9).

The Lord wants to help us become deeply aware of the road we have travelled and what still lies ahead.

We are not yet in possession of Salvation. We need to reflect on the true Exodus that still lies ahead.

John the Baptist and Jesus never frequented the palaces of the court. This is clear (v. 8).

The hedonistic or domesticating spirit flatters and attracts us, but it dulls and saps the frankness and vitality of every journey.

Instead, Christ proposes another movement of Conversion: a further excavation, which distinguishes his proposal even from that of the Precursor.

'Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he' (v. 11).

For a path of authentic and ultimately mature growth - children in the Son - it is appropriate to free ourselves from any model of perfection.

Adopting a unilateral path does not lead to any flowering, but rather to a shrinking of things.

In the positive (and intimate) itinerary, there is no single path. Life is variety, change, the experience of resurrection.

In this horizon, the greatest obstacles in responding to our personal Call by Name arise precisely from identifications.

Resolute recognitions are always artificial. They do not wake us up from swampy situations, nor do they allow us to rediscover the gold of mysterious, intimate, wise inclinations.

Existence and people themselves are not black and white. And the path of Life in the Spirit accepts nuances of character.

These can sometimes appear as confusing notes, typical of personalities in need of correction. This was the belief until not long ago, but it tended to impoverish and level us.

The ancient devout idea - which has conditioned us so much - was in fact linked to the primacy of external moral 'consistency' [correspondence between ideas and actions].

Christ replaces this banal thought with a completely different focus: the correspondence between inner states and their manifestation.

In short, a 'little one in the kingdom of heaven' may also be a misfit and disturbing, an eccentric and reprehensible restless person - who, however, would like to grow. So he does not cover up his inner struggles.

Not infrequently, smiles of circumstance, moralising, or even good manners, veil ideas, impulses, and opposing habits that, sooner or later, will find their way to the forefront.

Not to mention—even in religion—authoritarian attitudes, which hide a "double" that is not well understood. They are not true linearity, authentic order, nor "discipline."

The Master dreams that his apostles will move away from rash judgements and abstract ideals. They are too easy. They do not allow us to perceive clearly.

In short, we must suspend the clichés about love for God and others, as well as the opinions we have absorbed.

Contrasts are natural. Discomforts are the primordial language of the soul that calls us to turn our gaze, to activate the spirit towards new paths to explore.

Only in such an Exodus will we arrive at the Promised Land, a virgin land waiting to be discovered. To be redone every day.

Not by cutting our roots horizontally, but by starting from them.

 

 

A different concept

 

1. In previous catechesis, we have tried to show the most relevant aspects of the truth about the Messiah as it was foretold in the old covenant and as it was inherited by the generation of Jesus of Nazareth's contemporaries, who entered the new stage of divine revelation. Of this generation, those who followed Jesus did so because they were convinced that in him the truth about the Messiah was fulfilled: that he himself was the Messiah, the Christ. Significant are the words with which Andrew, the first of the apostles called by Jesus, announces to his brother Simon: 'We have found the Messiah (which means the Christ)' (Jn 1:41).

It must be acknowledged, however, that such explicit statements are rather rare in the Gospels. This is also due to the fact that in Israeli society at that time there was a widespread image of the Messiah to which Jesus did not want to adapt his figure and his work, despite the amazement and admiration aroused by all that he 'did and taught' (Acts 1:1).

2. Indeed, we know that John the Baptist himself, who on the banks of the Jordan had pointed to Jesus as 'the one who was to come' (cf. Jn 1: 15:30), having seen in him with prophetic spirit "the Lamb of God" who came to take away the sins of the world, John, who had foretold the "new baptism" that Jesus would confer with the power of the Spirit, sent his disciples to ask Jesus the question when he was already in prison: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we wait for another?" (Mt 11:3).

3. Jesus does not leave John and his messengers without an answer: "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news preached to them" (Lk 7:22). With this answer, Jesus intends to confirm his messianic mission, referring in particular to the words of Isaiah (cf. Is 35:4-5; 61:1). And he concludes: "Blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me" (Lk 7:23). These last words sound like a direct appeal to John, his heroic precursor, who had a different concept of the Messiah.

In fact, in his preaching, John had portrayed the Messiah as a severe judge. In this sense, he had spoken of the "imminent wrath" and the "axe already laid to the root of the trees" (cf. Lk 3:7, 9), to cut down every tree "that does not bear good fruit" (Lk 3:9). Certainly, Jesus would not have hesitated to deal firmly and even harshly, when necessary, with obstinacy and rebellion against the word of God, but he would have been above all the herald of "good news to the poor" and, through his works and wonders, he would have revealed the saving will of God, the merciful Father.

4. Jesus' response to John also presents another element that is interesting to note: he avoids openly proclaiming himself the Messiah. In the social context of the time, in fact, this title was very ambiguous: people commonly interpreted it in a political sense. Jesus therefore prefers to refer to the testimony offered by his works, desiring above all to persuade and inspire faith.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 4 March 1987]

 

3. In John's teaching, which foreshadows that of Jesus, a fundamentally positive view of society, classes and professions emerges: none of them excludes one from salvation, if one is committed to practising justice and charity. However, the Baptist is severe, even harsh, in his proclamation of Christ who will come with a winnowing fork to clean the threshing floor and put the axe to the roots. It is a frank and strong message that outlines the new relationships of justice among men.

[Pope John Paul II, Angelus, December 1990]

 

 

The Church begins by evangelising herself

 

As an evangeliser, the Church begins by evangelising herself. A community of believers, a community of lived and shared hope, a community of fraternal love, she needs to listen continually to what she must believe, the reasons for her hope, the new commandment of love. As the people of God immersed in the world and often tempted by idols, it always needs to hear proclaimed "the mighty works of God" [41] that converted it to the Lord, and to be summoned and gathered together by him anew. This means, in a word, that it always needs to be evangelised if it is to retain its freshness, enthusiasm and strength to proclaim the Gospel. The Second Vatican Council recalled [42] and the 1974 Synod strongly reiterated this theme of the Church evangelising itself through constant conversion and renewal in order to evangelise the world with credibility.

[40] Cf. Acts 2:42-46; 4:32-35; 5:12-16

[41] Cf. Ibid. 2:11; 1 Pet. 2:9

[42] Cf. Ad Gentes, 5, 11, 12: AAS 58, 1966, pp. 951-952, 959-961

[Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi n.15]

 

 

The great Baptiser, smaller than the smallest

 

And why Elijah

(Mt 11:11-15)

 

St Augustine said: 'In the Old Testament the New is hidden, in the New Testament the Old is revealed'. But on a different level.

It is true that the message of the second Covenant arises from the humus of the first, just as the new reveals the meaning and is the culmination of the old.

It is also certain that throughout the history of Redemption, the Baptist was a crossroads of radical, unexpected, decisive proposals.

He had refused to be part of the priestly class, corrupt and resistant to the newness of the Spirit.

He preached social justice and the forgiveness of sins outside the Temple, thanks to a change of mentality that unfolded in real life.

According to John, the factor of salvation could not be a formal ritual, but rather concrete conversion and relationship: for example, no longer thinking only of oneself. 

But he did not reveal - like the Son - the depth of the Father's heart.

He believed that the work of the new prophets should bring immediate (summary...) justice.

He dreamed of being able to recover the ancient purity and strength by patching up the ingredients of the religion of the fathers; in short, of returning to the origins.

All this by purifying and updating the great Temple - not by supplanting it in its juridical-theological configuration.

According to Jesus, however, it remained radically deviant, because it was inclined towards force and incapable of valuing fragility and insecurity.

 

The God of archaic beliefs disdained contradictions. He came to judge and punish according to a cold code, as ideal as it was distant from everyone [even his own believers].

But a Most High sovereign who does not care for weak people or things he does not like does not seem lovable: he triggers and accentuates the sectarian mechanisms of competitive, anxiety-inducing, demeaning devotion.

And the problem 'Where do I find trust?' remains unresolved; it does not move an inch.

Well, we cannot draw energy from a severe, purist, forced and sterilising approach that is contrary to the flowering of our precious Uniqueness.

The constant mortification of the eccentricities that would make us fantastic demotivates us.

Locked in armour that does not belong to us, we become grim, enemies of life, instead of exceptional, unique, flourishing.

This is why Jesus announces the novelty of a Kingdom to be 'welcomed'.

Not to be set up with sweat and prepared with effort, according to cultural, legalistic, external dictates, but precisely to be welcomed and included; because it displaces, transcends, astounds.

 

The new eyes to discover the meaning of a whole journey are transmitted only by the one who is Friend.

And Christ does this not when we position ourselves well or equip ourselves strongly - remaining in a dirigiste attitude - but in total listening (v. 15).

 

In this sense, John is inferior to any of the least of the least and without weight (v. 11) who presents himself at the threshold of the community.

This person wants to enjoy fraternal life and learn how to internalise the transition from religious meaning to Faith, to self-fulfilment, to Love.

 

Even the Baptist's idea of the Messiah was not that of Christ willing to embrace, recover, value and even favour the voiceless or those far away who were considered impure.

Our Master and Brother, on the contrary, is an advocate of works of life alone, filled with happiness (vv. 2-6). Not of rudeness and harsh mortification - his own and that of his enemies - or accusations.

 

For Jesus, the mikròi (v. 11) - that is, the least, the strangers and the beggars - carry in their hearts and in the Kingdom the seed of the newness of the heavens torn open forever.

Although they have little energy, they bring the dove of peace [Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22].

They are icons of an energy that is no longer aggressive, even though they suffer it (v. 12) [cf. Lk 16:16].

And as Paul VI emphasised, at the price of a filial style, open to rethinking oneself, crucifying oneself - in the intimate virtue of reversal:

'This Kingdom and this salvation, key words of the evangelisation of Jesus Christ, can be received by every man as grace and mercy, and yet each must, at the same time, conquer them by force - they belong to the violent, says the Lord - through toil and suffering, through a life according to the Gospel, through renunciation and the cross, through the spirit of the Beatitudes. But first of all, each person conquers them through a total inner reversal that the Gospel designates with the name 'metanoia', a radical conversion, a profound change of mind and heart."

[Evangelii Nuntiandi, n.10].

 

The man of faith has strength, passion and determination - especially incisive when it comes to building his destiny (by Grace).

Yet he will never be a surly shouter or a belligerent bully.

For this reason, the Son of God can place before the distinguished personality of the great and famous Saint of the desert and the Jordan - an unblemished conqueror of crowds - not one of his veterans, but any inexperienced, new, limping, sinful person; who has been set free because they have been regenerated.

 

This is the new era, where no one is singled out and besieged anymore. The different Kingdom is one of non-institutional expectations (sometimes yawn-inducing).

The creative states of any infant - outside the loop, but sensitive - are welcomed and awakened, rather than pulled aside and silenced.

 

The authentic engine of history is a dedicated but open and calm spontaneous, natural, innate power.

Whether in reversals (even epochal ones), in the search for integral human development, or in the incessant search for peace, this baptismal attitude knows how to start from scratch.

 

'If it is a question of starting again, it will always be from the bottom up' [cf. encyclical Fratelli Tutti n.235], not from those who have already achieved.

Humble energy is in fact the typical resource even of the least capable and most insignificant of authentic disciples.

It is a unique virtue and an incomparable spirit that does not diminish the space for existence.

On the contrary, it unties the real knots and does not impoverish things.

 

 

To internalise and live the message:

 

What does everything mean to you?

And added value?

What if the least in the Kingdom were Jesus himself?

Whether you are miserable and incapable of triumphing, consider it nothing... or does it block you?

Does the community welcome your desires or pull them aside?

 

 

Why Elijah

 

At the time, economic difficulties and Roman domination in the Palestinian area forced people to fall back on an individual model of life.

Problems of subsistence and social structure had resulted in the breakdown of relationships (and bonds) both within clans and within families themselves.

These were cohesive groups that had always provided assistance, support and concrete defence to the weakest and most vulnerable members.

Everyone expected that the coming of Elijah and the Messiah would have a positive outcome in rebuilding fraternal life, which had been undermined at that time.

As it was said: 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers' [Mal 3:22-24 announced the sending of Elijah] in order to rebuild the disintegrated community.

Obviously, the recovery of the people's internal sense of identity was frowned upon by the system of domination. Imagine the significance of Jesus' calling people by name, which would have opened up a thousand possibilities for the pious life of the people.

John had strongly preached a rethinking of the idea of freedom conquered (crossing of the Jordan), a reorganisation of established religious ideas (conversion and forgiveness of sins in real life, outside the Temple) and social justice.

Having an advanced plan for reform in solidarity (Lk 3:7-14), in practice it was the Baptist himself who had already carried out the mission of the expected Elijah [Mt 17:10-12; Mk 9:11-13].

For this reason, he had been removed: he could reassemble a whole people of outcasts - marginalised both from the circle of power and from a top-down, accommodating, servile and collaborationist religiosity.

A compartmentalised devotion that allowed absolutely no 'remembrance' of oneself or of the ancient social community structure, which was inclined towards sharing.

In short, the system of things, interests and hierarchies forced people to take root in that unsatisfactory configuration. But here is Jesus, who does not bow down.

 

Those who have the courage to embark on a path of biblical spirituality and Exodus learn that everyone has a different way of taking the field and being in the world.

So, is there a wise balance between respect for oneself, the context, and others?

Jesus is presented by Matthew to his communities as the One who wanted to continue the work of building the Kingdom, both in terms of vocational quality and in terms of rebuilding coexistence.

With one fundamental difference: compared to ethnic-religious conceptions, the Master does not propose a sort of body ideology to everyone, which ends up depersonalising the eccentric gifts of the weak - those that are unpredictable for a consolidated mentality, but which trace the future.

In a climate of reinforced clans, it is often the weightless and those who know only abysses (and not peaks) who are driven to accept a reassuring conformation of ideas - rather than a dynamic one - and a forge of wider acceptance.

Those who know only poverty and not heights are the first to be invited by adverse circumstances to obscure their view of the future, especially in times of crisis.

 

The poor remain unable to look in another direction and move on, charting a different destiny - precisely because of external factors beyond their control: cultural, traditional, income-related or 'spiritual'.

All recognisable boxes, perhaps not always alarming, but far from our nature.

And immediately: with condemnation within reach of common judgement [for failure to conform].

A sentence that seeks to clip our wings, destroy the hidden and secret atmosphere that truly belongs to personal uniqueness, and lead us all - even in an exasperated way.

 

The Lord proposes a communal life of character, but not obstinate or labelled - not inattentive... as in the measure in which it is forced to follow the same old route as always. Or in the same direction as the chieftains.

Christ wants a more flourishing collaboration, which makes good use of resources (internal and external) and differences.

A structure for the unprecedented: in such a way that, for example, failures or inexorable tensions are not disguised - on the contrary, they become opportunities, unknown and unthinkable but very fruitful for life.

 

Here, even crises become important, indeed fundamental, in order to evolve the quality of being together - in the richness of the 'polyhedron' which, as Pope Francis writes, 'reflects the confluence of all the partialities that maintain their originality within it' [Evangelii Gaudium n.236].

Without regenerating ourselves, merely repeating and copying collective modes - from a sphere model (ibid.) - or those of others, i.e. from nomenclature, not personally reworked or validated, we do not grow; we do not move towards our own unique mission.

The lacerating sense of emptiness is not filled.

By attempting to manipulate characters and personalities to guide them to 'how they should be', one is not at peace with oneself or with others. One does not convey to the many different people a perception of esteem and adequacy, nor a sense of benevolence - let alone joie de vivre.

Curved trajectories or trial and error are in keeping with the Father's Perspective and our unique growth.

Difference between religiosity and Faith.

 

 

For his Name

(Kingdom of God, Messianic Kingdom, Divine People gathered in the Church)

 

1. We read in the Constitution Lumen gentium of the Second Vatican Council that "believers in Christ (God) wanted to call them into the Holy Church, which . . . prepared in the history of the people of Israel and in the Old Covenant . . . was manifested by the outpouring of the (Holy) Spirit" (Lumen Gentium, 2). We dedicated our previous catechesis to this preparation of the Church in the Old Covenant, in which we saw that, in Israel's progressive awareness of God's plan through the revelations of the prophets and the events of its history, the concept of a future kingdom of God, far greater and more universal than any prediction about the fate of the Davidic dynasty, became increasingly clear. Today we turn to another historical event, rich in theological significance: Jesus Christ begins his messianic mission with the proclamation: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mk 1:15) . Those words mark the entry "into the fullness of time," as St Paul will say (cf. Gal 4:4), and prepare the transition to the New Covenant, founded on the mystery of the redemptive incarnation of the Son and destined to be an eternal Covenant. In the life and mission of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God is not only "at hand" (Lk 10:9), but is already present in the world, already at work in human history. Jesus himself says: "The kingdom of God is among you" (Lk 17:21).

2. The difference in level and quality between the time of preparation and that of fulfilment - between the old and the new Covenant - is made known by Jesus himself when, speaking of his precursor John the Baptist, he says: "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Mt 11:11). John, from the banks of the Jordan (and from his prison), certainly contributed more than anyone else, even more than the ancient prophets (cf. Lk 7:26-27), to the immediate preparation of the ways of the Messiah. Nevertheless, in a certain sense, he remains on the threshold of the new kingdom, which entered the world with the coming of Christ and is in the process of being manifested through his messianic ministry. Only through Christ do human beings become true “children of the kingdom”: that is, of the new kingdom far superior to that of which the Jews of his time considered themselves the natural heirs (cf. Mt 8:12).

3. The new kingdom has an eminently spiritual character (...)

4. This transcendence of the kingdom of God is given by the fact that it originates not only from a human initiative, but from the plan, design and will of God himself. Jesus Christ, who makes it present and brings it about in the world, is not only one of the prophets sent by God, but the Son consubstantial with the Father, who became man through the Incarnation. The kingdom of God is therefore the kingdom of the Father and his Son. The kingdom of God is the kingdom of Christ; it is the kingdom of heaven that has opened up on earth to allow men to enter this new world of spirituality and eternity (...)

Together with the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit also works for the realisation of the Kingdom already in this world. Jesus himself reveals this: the Son of Man 'casts out demons by the power of God's Spirit', and for this reason 'the kingdom of God has certainly come upon you' (Mt 12:28) (...)

7. The messianic kingdom, brought about by Christ in the world, reveals itself and definitively clarifies its meaning in the context of the passion and death on the cross. Already at the entrance into Jerusalem, an event takes place, arranged by Christ, which Matthew presents as the fulfilment of a prophetic prediction, that of Zechariah about "the king riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9; Mt 21:5). In the mind of the prophet, in the intention of Jesus and in the interpretation of the evangelist, the donkey signified meekness and humility. Jesus was the meek and humble king who entered the city of David, where by his sacrifice he would fulfil the prophecies about true messianic kingship.

This kingship becomes very clear during Jesus' interrogation before Pilate's court (...) before the Roman governor

8. It is a declaration that concludes the entire ancient prophecy that runs through the history of Israel and becomes fact and revelation in Christ. Jesus' words allow us to grasp the flashes of light that pierce the darkness of the mystery condensed in the trinity: Kingdom of God, Messianic Kingdom, People of God gathered in the Church. In this wake of prophetic and messianic light, we can better understand and repeat, with a clearer understanding of the words, the prayer taught to us by Jesus (Mt 6:10): "Thy Kingdom come." It is the Kingdom of the Father, which entered the world with Christ; it is the Messianic Kingdom which, through the work of the Holy Spirit, develops in man and in the world to ascend into the bosom of the Father, in the glory of heaven.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 4 September 1991]

Dear brothers and sisters, next to the invitation to rejoice, today’s Liturgy, with the words of St James that we have heard, also asks us to be constant and patient in waiting for the Lord who comes and to be so together, as a community, avoiding complaints and criticism (cf. Jas 5:7-10).

In the Gospel we heard the question asked by John the Baptist who was in prison: John, who had proclaimed the coming of the Judge who would change the world, and now felt had that the world has remained the same. Thus he sends word to Jesus asking: “Are you ‘He who is to come’, or shall we look for another?”. Is it you or should we expect another? 

In the past two or three centuries many have asked: “But is it really you? Or must the world be changed in a more radical manner? Will you not do it?”. 

And a great tide of prophets, ideologists and dictators have come and said: “It is not him! He did not change the world! It is we!”. And they created their empires, their dictatorships, their totalitarianism which was supposed to change the world. And they changed it, but in a destructive manner. Today we know that of these great promises nothing remained but a great void and great destruction. It was not they.

And thus we must see Christ again and ask Christ: “Is it you?” The Lord, in his own silent way, answers: “You see what I did, I did not start a bloody revolution, I did not change the world with force; but lit many I, which in the meantime form a pathway of light through the millenniums”. 

Let us start here in our Parish with St Maximilian Kolbe, who offered to die of hunger himself in order to save the father of a family. What a great light he became! How much light shone from this figure and encouraged others to give themselves, to be close to the suffering and the oppressed!

Let us think of Damien de Veuster who was a father to lepers, and who lived and died with and for lepers, and has thus brought light to this community.

Let us think of Mother Teresa, who gave so much light to people that, after a life without light, they died with a smile because they were touched by the light of God’s love.

And thus we shall be able to continue and we shall see, as the Lord said in his answer to John, that it is not the violent revolution of the world, but rather the silent light of the truth, of the goodness of God that is the sign of his presence and gives us the certainty that we are loved to the end and are not forgotten, that we are not a product of chance but of a will to love.

Thus we may live, we may feel God’s nearness. “God is close”, says today’s First Reading, he is near us but we are often distant. Let us draw near, let us move into the presence of his light, let us pray the Lord that through contact with him in prayer we ourselves will become light for others.

And this is precisely also the meaning of the parish church: to enter here, to enter into conversation, into contact with Jesus, with the Son of God, so that we ourselves may become one of the smallest lights that he has lit to carry his light into the world which feels it must be redeemed.

Our spirit must be open to this invitation and let us thus walk joyfully towards Christmas, like the Virgin Mary who awaited the Redeemer’s birth in prayer, with intimate and joyful trepidation. 

Amen!

[Pope Benedict, homily, 12 December 2010]

It is significant that, when the messengers sent by John the Baptist came to Jesus to ask Him: "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?", He answered by referring to the same testimony with which He had begun His teaching at Nazareth: "Go and tell John what it is that you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them." He then ended with the words: "And blessed is he who takes no offense at me".

Especially through His lifestyle and through His actions, Jesus revealed that love is present in the world in which we live - an effective love, a love that addresses itself to man and embraces everything that makes up his humanity. This love makes itself particularly noticed in contact with suffering, injustice and poverty - in contact with the whole historical "human condition," which in various ways manifests man's limitation and frailty, both physical and moral. It is precisely the mode and sphere in which love manifests itself that in biblical language is called "mercy." 

Christ, then, reveals God who is Father, who is "love," as St. John will express it in his first letter; Christ reveals God as "rich in mercy," as we read in St. Paul. This truth is not just the subject of a teaching; it is a reality made present to us by Christ. Making the Father present as love and mercy is, in Christ's own consciousness, the fundamental touchstone of His mission as the Messiah; this is confirmed by the words that He uttered first in the synagogue at Nazareth and later in the presence of His disciples and of John the Baptist's messengers.

[Dives in Misericordia n.3]

On this third Sunday of Advent, known as the Sunday “of joy”, the Word of God invites us on the one hand to joy, and on the other hand to the awareness that existence also includes moments of doubt, in which it is difficult to believe. Joy and doubt are both experiences that are part of our lives.

To the explicit invitation to joy of the prophet Isaiah: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom” (35: 1), the Gospel opposes the doubt of John the Baptist: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Mt 11: 3). Indeed, the prophet sees beyond the situation; he discouraged people before him: weak hands, trembling knees, lost hearts (cf. 35: 3-4). It is the same reality that in every age puts faith to the test. But the man of God looks beyond, because the Holy Spirit makes his heart feel the power of His promise, and he announces salvation: “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance” (v. 4). And then everything is transformed: the desert blooms, consolation and joy take possession of the lost of heart, the lame, the blind, the mute are healed (cf. vv. 5-6). This is what is realized with Jesus: “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them” (Mt 11: 5).

This description shows us that salvation envelops the whole person and regenerates him. But this new birth, with the joy that accompanies it, always presupposes a death to ourselves and to the sin within us. Hence the call to conversion, which is the basis of the preaching of both the Baptist and Jesus; in particular, it is a question of converting our idea of God. And the time of Advent stimulates us to do this precisely with the question that John the Baptist poses to Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Mt 11: 3). We think: all his life John waited for the Messiah; his lifestyle, his very body is shaped by this expectation. This is also why Jesus praises him with those words: no one is greater than him among those born of a woman (cf. Mt 11: 11). Yet he too had to convert to Jesus. Like John, we too are called to recognize the face that God chose to assume in Jesus Christ, humble and merciful.

Advent is a time of grace. It tells us that it is not enough to believe in God: it is necessary to purify our faith every day. It is a matter of preparing ourselves to welcome not a fairy-tale character, but the God who challenges us, involves us and before whom a choice is imposed. The Child who lies in the manger has the face of our brothers and sisters most in need, of the poor who are “a privileged part of this mystery; often they are the first to recognize God’s presence in our midst” (Apostolic Letter Admirabile signum, 6).

May the Virgin Mary help us so that, as we approach Christmas, let us not allow ourselves to be distracted by external things, but make room in our hearts for the One Who has already come and Who wishes to come again to heal our illnesses and to give us His joy.

[Pope Francis, Angelus, 15 December 2019]