3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT – – ‘Check it out yourselves.’

  1. John tells his disciples: ‘Go check it out yourselves.’
      John had been imprisoned to be eventually beheaded by Herod. While in prison he and his disciples heard about the works Christ was performing.
     John’s disciples believed in John. Most of Christ’s first disciples were disciples of John. Having followed the preaching of John on the Old Testament repentance, they were prepared for the repentance of Jesus Christ. Having believed in John they were prepared to believe in Christ. But some of them being attached to John could not believe in Christ. Believing in John does not make one automatically believe in Christ. Belief in John which is an act of repentance is a preparation for Faith but it does not necessarily follow. The act of Faith in Christ is still different from the act of repentance because the former is a gift of God for those who are prepared; while the latter is a mere mature human act. 
     The disciples of John had repented for their sins as John baptized them in the Jordan; but they have not made the act of repentance taught by Christ which will forgive their sins. To have their sins forgiven with the repentance of Christ, they must believe in Christ. 
     Then John and his disciples heard that Christ was showing certain signs. So John sent his disciples to Christ to ask Him: ‘ Are You He who is to come or do we look for another.’
     Some erroneous interpretation of this Gospel says that John, himself, was doubting that Christ was the Messiah thus sending his disciples to Christ to inquire. This is an erroneous interpretation given by Pope Francis. John did not doubt.  He, already, recognized Christ while still in his mother’s womb. His belief was further confirmed in the Jordan by the very words of the Father. He even pointed to Christ as the Lamb of God.  His Faith never faltered. 
     But John did not want his disciples to believe in Christ because he said so. That would not be Faith. He wanted his disciples to make their own personal mature act of Faith based on signs. So John tells them to go and find out for themselves if Jesus is the Messiah. Each disciple must make their own individual personal mature human act of Faith. 
     The Masses after Christmastide will show how each disciple made their supernatural act of Faith. Then the rest of the Masses up to Christ the King will show how each disciple progressed towards the perfection of the supernatural virtue of Charity.  The entire Liturgy will show that to be a true Catholic is not an easy job. 

2. Is He the One who is to come?
     John was answering the triple question of the disciples. There are always three questions asked regarding truths. And there are always three answers. John was proposing three questions that his disciples should ask Christ. First, are you the Messiah who is to come. Secondly, are you the Messiah who is supposed to be crucified and die. Thirdly, are you the Messiah who is to come at the end times.  The answer to the three questions is; ‘Yes, I am.’
    St. John Chrysostom wrote that the three truths Christ was showing were these; first, that Christ will come; second, that He will suffer; and thirdly, people will be scandalized by His Death. 

 3.     Christ enumerated the signs they will see;  ‘Tell John what you see. The Messiah will come. The blind recover their sight and the deaf will hear, cripples walk, lepers are cured, the deaf hear, dead men are raised to life and the poor have the good news preached to them.
     St. Thomas of Aquinas summarizes the above signs into three quoting St. Gregory the Great and St. John Chrysostom; namely, the poor hear the Good News; the blind see and the deaf will hear; and many will be scandalized. John pointed to Christ; and Christ gave John’s disciples these signs by which He can be recognize. Today a true preacher should point to Christ and must see the same signs.
     The poor hear the Good News means this; Every person who is ignorant of the truth will hear the answers from the true Church of Christ. If you do not know the answer to the question how to fix your marriage, how to overcome your being gay, how to obtain the providence of God, how to cure your drug addiction…..you will find the answers in the Mystical Body of Christ. 
     If the blind will see and the deaf hear, it will be as easy to heal a sodomite and a transvestite. If the cripple and the leper can be cured, it will be as easy to solve an economic and a social crisis. And if the dead can be raised from the dead, how much easier can a psychotic be healed. 
     The Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ, can cure everything, both body and soul. These are, precisely the signs of the Messiah. How come the Catholic Church cannot cure all these maladies today so that adulterers, sodomites, atheists must be tolerated and allowed to wallow in their miseries? Because the Church is no longer Catholic. That was the third sign of the Messiah; the Messiah will be a stumbling block to so called Catholics. They will find the Messiah corny, unacceptable, deplorable and out of date. Yet that is the sign of the true Messiah. 


     There is no St. John the Baptist pointing to the Messiah because there is no Messiah to point to. How come? Where is He. Using the words of Christ, He said; ‘Destroy this temple. And in three days I will rebuilt it.’ The world, under the influence of Lucifer believes that they have succeeded  to destroy Christ, just as on Good Friday. 
     The Church, today, is ‘resting in the Lord’ in the tomb. This is called the Sabbath rest. In three days She will rise back to life for the grand wedding with the Groom. Have you wondered how come we know what are the visible signs of the true Church as found in the Nicene Creed; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. And yet we cannot find  them in the parishes, in the dioceses and they are not even in the Vatican? Because She is no longer there. She is in the tomb. ‘Destroy this. And in three days I will rebuild it.’ She will come back to life.