Facing execution, John the Baptist felt the need to look for some answers. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” John’s question to Jesus was not posed merely to clarify a religious belief. The issue was much more personal: “Was all my life of sacrifice and toil worthwhile? Did I make the right choice to put you ahead of me? Do these sufferings have meaning, or did I fail in my mission?”
In the first part of today’s gospel passage, we see that John is imprisoned. Upon not receiving any news about exciting interventions from Jesus, the Baptist’s faith begins to waver. How did these perplexities come to him? The answer is quite simple.
God allows us to be tempted in order to test our virtue and to give us an opportunity to grow and to earn merit. Nonetheless, He takes our capability into account and supplies us with His grace.
Let us understand the beautiful dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which gives us the gift of Mary, the Theotokos. Her role as the Mother of God is the precise reason why God deigned to bestow upon her the gift of being conceived without the stain of original sin.
Originally, the balls and the lights on Christmas trees symbolized the hope that nature would eventually overcome the cold and darkness of winter, and produce once again fruits and crops for our nourishment. May those fruits of conversion also bring hope and light to a world that is still in a deep moral winter.
When he spoke of God’s wrath, John had no clear idea of how it would manifest. The wrath of God is an image that recurs often in the Old Testament. It is not intended as an explosion of hatred on the victim. It is an expression of God’s love: he is fighting evil, not the person who does it. He does not want to hit the person but to free each one from sin.
The goal of the Christian life is far beyond the reach of our wounded nature, almost humanly impossible. The requirements are extreme. This is why Jesus Christ teaches us that we have to count on Him and on His grace.
Last weekend, 20 people participated in a silent retreat under the guidance of Father Daniel Ribeiro at the Diocesan Retreat House in Coloane. More than just engaging in a period of spiritual reflection, the retreat provided participants with an opportunity for a personal encounter with God.
The pastoral care team in charge of the Portuguese-speaking community at the Cathedral parish invited elderly parishioners to a social event – the first of its kind aimed at the Lusophone flock – which sought to answer some of the concerns that were raised by local Catholics during the diocesan phase of the Synod of Bishops.
Advent is our time to build our spiritual ark, that safe space which gives us the courage to battle our own iniquities and the assaults of worldly affairs. It is also a symbol of a new beginning, a chance at transforming one’s life to conform to the expectations of our heavenly Father.
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