Fr. Matt’s Corner: . . . Are You the one who is to come? . . .
Advent greetings to you, my dear friends in Christ. John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ. As we prepare for Christ’s coming, our hope is nourished by our own hearing of the works of the Christ. After all, that’s what we do in the first part of Mass each Sunday. In the Liturgy of the Word, we hear of the works of the Christ.
Perhaps you and I, like John the Baptist, are often left wondering: Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for another? This question of John’s disciples reminds me of Simon Peter’s response in the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel after Jesus taught the crowds about His Real Presence in the Eucharist. All those who had followed Jesus and had seen His miracles and who had heard His marvelous teaching, suddenly left, murmuring: This saying is too hard. Who can accept it? Jesus then turned to Peter (and to us) and asked: Do you also want to leave? Peter famously replied: Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that You are the Holy One of God.
Those words of Peter are a mixture of exasperation and faith. If there’s someone else we should be following, please, Lord, tell us! And yet, I may not understand fully all that you say, but I do trust you. So, as we prepare the way of the Lord this Advent, we are left with this question: Are You the one who is to come, or should we look for another? Can I wager my life on You, Jesus, or should I rely on myself – or perhaps medical science – or maybe my boss … or perhaps my friend … or maybe my bank account … or that TV news anchor … or this video game … or that next drink … or …
Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” Could it be that, Here is our God? Might He open our eyes to see Him and His wonders? Could He free us from our sins that we might walk aright? Perhaps He might even raise us from the death of this world to the glory of His love and peace – that would surely be good news proclaimed to us. Maybe He is, after all, the One to come…Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing…
A hope-filled peace to all of you, my friends, this Holy Day, and to all who love the Lord in simplicity of heart,
Fr. Mat