Is 61:1-2a, 10-11/Lk 1/1 Thes 5:16-24/Jn 1:6-8, 19-28
Our Gospel for this Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, is about John the Baptist revealing his identity. John the Baptist denies being the Messiah when he was asked if he was the Messiah. With great bravery, John the Baptist said the truth. John the Baptist knows that he is not the Messiah. Rather, he is chosen and sent by the Lord God in order to prepare the way of the Messiah. He even said that there is someone greater than him who will come after him. The person greater than John the Baptist who will come after him is none other than Jesus Christ.
If John the Baptist said that he is the Messiah, he is fooling himself and the people that come to him. John the Baptist is not being a man of his word. John the Baptist would become a hypocrite if he said that he is the Messiah. He calls on everyone to turn away from sin and be baptized in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. But, if John the Baptist said that he is the Messiah, he is committing a sin. He has sinned against himself, the people he is baptizing, and most of all, against God. That is if John the Baptist said that he is the Messiah.
But, John the Baptist knows that he is just the best man. If we would describe it with a wedding scenario, John the Baptist is the best man. He just prepares the bride and everyone to meet the man who will be married. That is John the Baptist's role. John the Baptist is preparing everyone to meet Jesus Christ. With whole honesty and humility, John the Baptist is fulfilling his role as the forerunner of the Messiah. He knows his mission here on earth, and he is fulfilling it.
Telling the truth does take a lot of courage and strength. Being honest is quite hard for us, especially during these times. Let us ask the Lord through the intercession of St. John the Baptist to be honest. John the Baptist chose to be brave by telling the truth about his identity. Like John the Baptist, let us be honest to ourselves and to our neighbors. If we tell lies, we are fooling ourselves and our neighbor. But, there is one person who we cannot fool - God. God knows who we are, even things that we don't know about ourselves.
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