REFLECTION FROM THE
DESK OF THE PASTOR
Advent
marks the four-week celebration before Christmas. It is traditionally a season
of penance and preparation before Christmas. The official church Liturgical
color is purple, a symbol of penitence. In today’s gospel, John the Baptist
sends emissaries to Jesus Christ in order to make it sure if He is really the
One that they are waiting, the Messiah.
Jesus answers the messengers, “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 raised and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” In
other words, the greatest message of Jesus is that of healing. He healed the
sick and the dying without medicine and takes no charge for His service – no
doctor’s fee. He never studied psychiatry and yet he has healed more broken
hearts than the doctors far and near. The healing would be seen also as signs
of an inner spiritual blessings. Long ago, a rabbi was said to have knocked at
heaven’s door and confronted the Messiah. Why are you taking so long? Don’t you
know humankind is waiting for you? “It is not for me they are expecting,”
answered the Messiah. “Some are waiting for wealth and riches; others for power
to lord over others or for a kingdom of their own fantasies. No, they are
waiting for the realization of their own foolish dreams, not the dreams of the
Messiah for them.” The rabbi came back to earth, gathered his disciples and
forbade them to despair: “Let us begin to dream God’s dream for us – Our true
waiting begins.”
