REFLECTIONS: FR. JUDE;S -- THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

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 06-12-04 (Dec. 6, 2004)

Dear Friend,
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Someone has said Advent is not a season but a life time. For 
many the waiting never ends. Rather than joy we experience sorrow, instead 
of blooming we are fading, instead of growing strong we grow weak, instead 
of strength and firmness we are feeble. How can we rejoice in the Lord? Yet 
we are asked to hope. Our hope is not based on optimism but on the promise 
of God. No matter what we are experiencing right now. He is coming! Have a 
hope-filled Advent weekend! -Fr. Jude

Sunday Reflections: Third Sunday of Advent? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Prepare ye the 
way...? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 12-12-04
Readings: Isaiah 35: 1-6,10;? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? James 5: 7-10; 
Matthew 11: 2-11:

The author of today's first reading is addressing the people in exile. In 
fact they have been in exile for some time and now their exile is about to 
end and they are looking towards Jerusalem. From the joyful tone of the text 
we could conclude that they are on their way towards their home that they 
had left behind years ago. Now they look with hope and excitement at coming 
back. This is the marching song of the people as they move towards 
liberation. The author visualizes the pilgrims returning to a transformed 
land. It is no longer barren and deserted as when they left it and went 
away. Now it is fertile and in bloom filled with promise. In fact their 
return will herald the dawn of the messianic age: "Look your God is 
coming.he is coming to save you. The author then describes to the people the 
signs of the coming of the messiah. "The eyes of the blind will be opened, 
the ears of the deaf unsealed, the lame shall leap like a deer, and the 
tongues of the dumb will sing for joy." For us who wait for his coming, for 
those who ask, when will He come, the message is that the Lord is at hand.

Are you the one?
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American writer. When he died in 1864 he had on 
his desk an outline of a play he never got to finish. The play centred on 
one person who never appeared on stage. Every one talked about him. Everyone 
awaited his arrival. But he never came. All kinds of minor characters 
described him. They told everybody what he would be like. They told 
everybody what he would do. But the main character never appeared. The Old 
Testament is something like Nathaniel Hawthorne's play. It too ended without 
the main character putting in an appearance. It is against this background 
that we must read today's Scripture readings.
Mark Link in 'Sunday Homilies'

In the second reading from James the message is again one of consolation. 
"Be patient, do not lose heart, because the Lord's coming will be soon." He 
gives the example of the farmer who waits for the rains to arrive, of the 
dried land that awaits the autumn and spring rains to burst forth into new 
life. At times we grow impatient and ask how long are we too wait? Why does 
God delay? We wait for healing and there is none, we wait for peace and 
there is insecurity and war. We wait for change and new life and there is 
death. Each of us knows of situations which cause us to be fearful and 
doubtful. May we heed James' word: "Be patient! Do not loose heart!

In today's gospel we see John the Baptist in prison meeting his disciples 
and sending them to Jesus with the question: "Are you the one who is to come 
or do we wait for someone else?" Some say John asked the question because he 
was wondering if Jesus was the Messiah. John had preached that the Messiah 
would be the great avenger, who would bring down the mighty. Yet Jesus seems 
to be a gentle Messiah preaching words of comfort, being healing and comfort 
to all. Was he the one? Others say that John was asking the question to 
strengthen the faith of his own disciples who were disillusioned with the 
happenings of the time: John was in prison facing eminent death and Jesus 
was not living up to their Messianic expectations. Jesus does not answer the 
question directly. If he answered that he was the Messiah the Jewish leaders 
would pounce on him claiming blasphemy. If he said he was not that would be 
a lie. Instead he asks them to report to John what they see happening. If 
they observe they will see the signs of the coming of the Messiah: the blind 
see, the dumb speak, the lame walk..

Are you Jesus?
Several years ago a group of five computer salesmen went from Milwaukee to 
Chicago for a sales convention. All were married and all promised their 
wives that they would return home in ample time for dinner. The sales 
meeting ran late and the five scurried out of the building and ran towards 
the train station. A whistle blew signaling the eminent departure of the 
train. As the salesmen rushed through the terminal, one of them 
inadvertently kicked over a slender table on which rested a basket of 
apples. A ten-year old boy was selling apples to pay for his clothes and 
books for school. With a sigh the five clambered aboard the train, but the 
last felt a twinge of compassion for the boy whose apple stand had been 
overturned. He asked one of the group to call his wife and tell her he would 
be a couple of hours late. He returned to the terminal and later remarked 
that he was glad that he did. The ten-year old boy was blind. The salesman 
saw the apples scattered all over the floor. As he gathered them up, he 
noticed that some apples were bruised and split. Reaching into his pocket, 
he said to the boy, "Here's twenty dollars for the apples we damaged. I hope 
we didn't spoil your day. God bless you." As the salesman started to walk 
away, the blind boy called after him and asked, "Are you Jesus?"
Brennen Manning from 'The Signature of Jesus'

In the last part of today's gospel Jesus speaks of John the Baptist. John is 
the greatest and the last of the prophets who prepared the people for the 
coming of the messiah. Jesus paid a tribute to him. He said John was no reed 
swaying in the wind, he was his own man - a strong personality, a man of 
principles. John was a man with a mission, when it was over he was ready to 
make way for Jesus. Yet Jesus pointed out that, great as John was, he missed 
out on the greatest thing of all. He did not see the coming of the Kingdom 
of God. Instead of being with Jesus he found himself in a dark narrow 
dungeon, awaiting death and troubled by doubt. Jesus' ultimate message to 
John and to all who wait in darkness and doubt: "Blessed is the man who does 
not lose faith in me."


"The great astronomer, Galileo, was born near Florence, in the year 1564. He 
confirmed what Copernicus had said, namely that it was the earth that goes 
round the sun, and not vice versa. His discoveries greatly enlarged our 
knowledge of the universe. Yet he spent the last years of his life in 
darkness. When summoned before the Inquisition he wrote: 'Alas, poor 
Galileo, your devoted servant, has been for a month totally and incurably 
blind; so that this heaven, this earth, this universe, which by my 
observations and demonstrations, I have enlarged a thousand fold beyond 
their previous limits, are now shriveled for me into such a narrow compass 
as is filled by my bodily sensations.'? -Galileo reminds us of John the 
Baptist. Like Galileo, John the Baptist ushered in a new age-the age of 
Jesus. And like Galileo he died in darkness."
Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies'

May Jesus reveal himself to us as the light and hope in the darkness!

Fr. Jude Botelho
jude@netforlife.plus.com

PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been 
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and 
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever 
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you 
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in 
these reflections.? These reflections are also available on my website: 
www.netforlife.net Thank you!