THE WORD BECAME BLESSED

Wednesday in the third week of Advent, 2021

Isa 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25

Ps 85

Luke 7:18b-23

Keep Faith

In the gospel reading John the Baptist sends his disciples to ask Jesus a question from his prison cell, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else?’ It seems as if John might have been having doubts as to whether or not Jesus was what he and many others had been waiting for. 

Even people of very strong faith, like John the Baptist, can go through periods of great doubt. Jesus did not answer John’s question directly; he simply pointed to the life-giving ministry in which he had been engaged. All that God was doing through Jesus gave John his answer. Jesus was indeed the one who was to come; the one for whom many had been waiting. Jesus’ final words to the messengers of John the Baptist were, ‘happy is the one who does not lose faith in me’. 

Jesus was calling on John to keep his faith in Jesus as the coming one alive, even in his time of doubt. Advent calls on all of us to renew our faith in Jesus as the one whom God promised and for whom we are all waiting. We are not waiting for anyone else. Advent reassures us that the one for whom we are waiting, for whom we long, is the Life-Giver whom God has already sent to us and continues to send us each day.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and desires. Set our hearts aflame with the fire of your love. Amen

+Remain blessed