THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
14 DECEMBER 2025
Last
Sunday, we met a very confident John the Baptist. The son of a priest, he was in the desert
instead of being in the temple. He wore
clothing made of camel’s hair instead of priestly vestments. Instead of welcoming worshipers with a ritual
water cleansing to enter the temple for sacrifice, he was baptizing huge crowds
in the Jordan River. He was inviting his
listeners to pass through the waters of repentance to prepare for a new Exodus
into the kingdom of God, like his ancestors had passed through the Jordan in
their Exodus. This Messiah will baptize
people with the Holy Spirit and fire. He
will reward the innocent and banish the wicked.
We meet the
Baptist again today. But the situation
is very different. Herod has thrown him
into a dark prison, where he is alone. He
is clearly not a reed swayed by the wind, looking for approval from
others. Instead, he angered Herod by
speaking the truth about his unlawful marriage.
From the darkness of his prison cell, he sends a delegation to ask Jesus
if he is the one who is to come. Or
should they look for another? Apparently,
the Messiah has not met his expectations.
Jesus has not been harshly condemning the unjust. He eats with Pharisees whom John had called a
brood of vipers. He hangs out with
sinners and prostitutes. He has taken no
steps to expel the Romans to end their cruel occupation. Instead of criticizing his cousin for a lack
of faith, he tells John’s disciples to tell him what they hear and see. They see and hear in Jesus what the prophet
Isaiah had described. Isaiah insists
that God has the power to overcome a number of deficiencies. God’s love brings life to barren natural
habitats. God’s love heals human
persons, especially individuals with disabilities. God’s love ransoms prisoners and rejoices
with them when they return home.
This is
exactly what Jesus the Messiah is doing.
He has proclaimed that the kingdom of God is at hand. As signs of that kingdom, Jesus has reached
out to individuals with disabilities.
Though his touch, blind people are regaining their sight. Lame ones are walking. Lepers are cleansed and returned to their
families. Deaf people are hearing. Dead people are coming back to life. Most importantly, the poor have the good news
preached to them.
As we
continue to prepare for the Lord’s second coming, this Third Sunday of Advent
invites us to rejoice. The Lord reminds
us that even though John the Baptist was the greatest of the prophets, we who
are least in the kingdom are greater than he.
Members of that kingdom, we are preparing to celebrate the Lord’s First
Coming at Christmas. We are invited to
open our eyes to recognize the ways in which the Lord comes to us, especially when
people with disabilities and those who are ransomed realize that they are
children of God.
But
sometimes we find ourselves in very dark places, like John the Baptist
did. In these dark places, it is
difficult to recognize the Lord’s presence.
In these dark places, many are dreading the Season of Christmas. That is why Saint James tells us to learn how
to wait. John the Baptist was waiting
for Herod to behead him. Yet, he did not
give up, because he trusted that God was with him, and that he had done God’s
will. Even if we are waiting in darkness
and dangerous times, we must be patient to trust that the Lord will deliver
us.
In 1908, Mount
Etna erupted with such force that thousands of families lost their lives. Generations changed. People migrated to America because of the
eruption. But those who stayed learned
some secrets. Volcanic ash makes
excellent fertilizer. The slow cooling
process of the lava, along with the decaying of the ash, produced soil to
produce outstanding vineyards. It just
took time and patience. If God can
transform a terrible tragedy into outstanding vineyards that produce fine wine,
imagine what the Lord will do for us, who wait for him in joyful hope.
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