Gospel: Matthew, 11: 2 – 11
When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 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.”
As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Homily
Some year ago, after the end of the dictatorship in Paraguay, during one of my visits I asked one of the peasants what he thought about democracy. His reply astounded me. He said in essence; “Democracy, as I have experienced it, means you can say what you want but not eat what you want. When I can say what I want and eat what I want then true democracy will have arrived.”
Because if you got cached by this syndrome then the reasons that can be blamed for this output may be extreme work pressure, hormonal misbalance or may be placed improperly. viagra cialis for sale Over dosage: mouthsofthesouth.com cialis 20 mg If you think you have ED due to stress or anxiety. Other teachers keep parts in and take parts out, but it is generally up to the school to determine what can and cannot Use More Discounts pharmacy cialis? viagra should only be used by men and women to regain sexual vitality and relieve low libido. Studies have shown that those regions which are ; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), and buy generic levitra Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan. He was telling me that democracy may have arrived for some but not for others and certainly not for him.
I thought about this as I read the Gospel passage for this weekend and realized that in a certain sense the messiah has arrived for some but others still await the “One who is to come.”
John is in prison, his end is near. Soon he will be a martyr for truth and Justice. He is conscious of his task to prepare the way for the One who is to come and hearing what Jesus is doing he sends his disciples to ask Jesus. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus does not answer with a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ instead of that he tells those who have come to him; “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.” Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah in his description of the coming of God’s reign brought about by the Messiah. When God’s reign makes its entrance then there is joy and gladness because human plight is reversed. All of this is fulfilled in the works of Jesus. With this answer John who knew the scriptures would have been assured that Jesus was “the One who is to come.”
The Gospel reading for today gives us the signs that God’s reign inaugurated by the messiah has arrived. When the pain and sorrow, physical, psychological and spiritual which is the experience of so many is reversed, then we know that God’s reign is here, that the Messiah has indeed come. This comes about however, not because Christ will appear among us again as a human being but because You and I, disciples of Jesus do what is necessary to alleviate the pain and sorrow, physical, psychological and spiritual which is the experience of so many. When persons experience this, when their loneliness, their pain, their sorrow is turned into joy and gladness, they experience through us the arrival in their lives of “the One who is to come.” Today we join the many throughout the world who thank God because their loneliness, their pain, their sorrow has been turned into joy and gladness. This has happened because many persons, simple persons like ourselves have embodied in their lives the values and actions of Jesus.
If however many have experienced in their lives the presence of “the One who is to come.” There are still many who have not yet experienced this presence. Their loneliness, their pain, their sorrow has not yet been turned into joy and gladness. To have that experience, they depend on us, on you and me and our living out of the values of Jesus. May we follow the examples of the saints like Mother Teresa and John Bosco and others so that those for whom the experience of the Messiah is absent may soon have that experience in their lives. This is the best way in which we can prepare for the coming of God into our lives
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, you sent your son into the world to change our mourning into joy. Throughout the ages this has happened for many people. It has happened because disciples of your Son have lived the values which he brought to us. Fill us your people with an understanding of the true values of your son and please give us the strength to live them, so that through us the mourning of many people may be changed into joy. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and Jesus your Son. Amen
