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Created: 13 December 2020

Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) – Year B

Today's Gospel, John 1: 6-8, 19-28, centers on St. John the Baptist who came to testify to the Light and to help prepare the people of his day for Christ's message of salvation.

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. (John 1: 6-8)

The Holy Scriptures provide us plenty of information about John the Baptist, his role as the forerunner of Jesus Christ the Lord. We can see that he was a trustworthy person. He knew who he was. When people thought of him to be someone else, he said: "I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.” (John 1:23) Not only asking people of his day to change their way of living, open their hearts and their whole being to receive the Savior, John the Baptist also lived truthfully to his message. We all knew that John's death was the result of his confrontation with King Herod over the king's unlawful marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife. John the Baptist came to testify to the truth and died for it. As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that only in God there is eternal peace and happiness. Thus, we all have the responsibility to share and to live out our faith in our Lord. Each of us has a role in preparing the way for the Lord.

We have some time left until Christmas. It could be enough time to discern our role in the preparation for the Lord to come.

Fr. Phi Nguyen