There is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie
3rd Sunday of Advent B
Isaiah 61:1-2.10-11.Ps.Lk 1:46-50.53-54. Rv. Is 61;10. 1Thess. 5:16-24.
He has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity
He fills the starving with good things
May the God of peace make you perfect and holy.
He came as a witness so that everyone may come to believe through him.
Gospel Jn 1:6-8, 19-28
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, "Who are you?"
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, "I am not the Christ."
So they asked him,
"What are you then? Are you Elijah?"
And he said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
So they said to him,
"Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?"
He said:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
'make straight the way of the Lord,'"
as Isaiah the prophet said."
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
"Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them,
"I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, "Who are you?"
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, "I am not the Christ."
So they asked him,
"What are you then? Are you Elijah?"
And he said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
So they said to him,
"Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?"
He said:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
'make straight the way of the Lord,'"
as Isaiah the prophet said."
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
"Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them,
"I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Seeing is believing
John was not the Messiah. He was a witness. Crowds came to him but he pointed them to Jesus. ’He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire’.
We are called to witness to Jesus. We are to point people to him, to introduce them to Jesus. Our religion is not doctrine or theology, nor is it church structures however impressive. It is not religious orders and social service organizations. All these things are peripheral. It is, first and foremost, to know Jesus.
We don’t know Jesus as some great religious figure of the past. Nor do we know Jesus as the God become man. It is not theory that we are interested in.
John says in today’s Gospel something which is very true today: ‘there stands among you one whom you do not know’. The great truth which is unknown is that Jesus is among us today. We don’t point backwards or forwards. We point to Jesus among us today.
But where is he, you might ask. This question reveals our tragedy. We are to become Christ and stand in the midst of the world. Sunday Eucharist is not just a ritual. It is the very soul of the church community. It is the source of all our power and energy to witness, because we eat the Body and drink the Blood of Jesus Christ so that we may become what we eat and drink, that we may become Jesus Christ. Until we become Jesus Christ, as branches on the vine, and until we go to every corner of the world taking him with us we will not be his witness like John. When people see you, they should see Jesus. Do they? When people see your life, they should see the life of Jesus in the twenty first century.
You need to be anointed during every Sunday Mass. You need to be wrapped in the garment of integrity in your daily life. You bring the good news by being the good news. You are indeed to put on Christ by being purified by the Word of God and by your prayer. To be the Eucharist you receive is to be the witness of Jesus. People need to experience the goodness of Jesus so that they can believe in him. You are called to make him present to them. Through you people will come to touch Jesus. It is Jesus who enters their lives as their Saviour but he does that where you are and through you
Do you see the Eucharist as food by which you become Jesus or as Sacrament to worship Jesus? Do we not worship Jesus by becoming Jesus? Is true witness not to have others see Jesus in you?
Father, may I be baptized with the Holy Spirit and through the Eucharist become Jesus to set the world on fire with love.
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