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Recognise, He Is One Among Us!
Contributed by Dr. John Singarayar Svd on Dec 9, 2020 (message contributor)
Summary: The Third Sunday of Advent.
Recognise, He is One Among You!
Scripture:
Reflection
Dear sisters and brothers,
We are invited today to reflect on the text from the Gospel according to John (John 1:1-6 & John 1:19-28):
“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.”
There are important questions in the text to reflect on the wholistic understanding of the third Sunday of Advent.
Let us ask those important questions before we start to reflect:
Important Questions are:
Who am I?
What am I?
How am I?
Where am I?
Let us reflect one by one...
1. The Sent:
John was sent from God.
I may not be John.
We have different names.
We have different identities.
Therefore,
We come to the conclusion that each and everyone of us are sent from God.
God calls us by our names.
Do we have choice?
No.
We have no choice.
We have to obey.
We have to agree.
We have to take up.
Do we need to accept?
Yes, we need to accept the invitation from God.
We need to understand that we are created to be sent as John accepted his call to be a forerunner, to be a torchbearer.
We need to understand that we are called by our names to be sent.
Then, my understanding clears the path to be a forerunner and to be a torchbearer.
How am I sent?
I am sent as a priest.
I am sent as a pastor.
I am sent as a preacher.
I am sent as a religious person.
I am sent as a teacher.
I am sent as a doctor.
I am sent as a nurse.
I am sent as a farmer.
I am sent as a married woman.
I am sent as a married man.
I am sent as a single.
I am sent as a parent.
I am sent as a professional.
I am sent as a difficult person.
Why does God call us by our name and send us?
Our second point of reflection follows from here.
2. The Purpose:
The second point of reflection is the purpose.
God calls us and sends us for His purpose.
The important point is: God sends us for His purpose.
What is His purpose?
To understand our own purpose, we need to understand the purpose of John.
The purpose of John is to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
So,
God’s purpose is to testify the Light.
Who is this Light that John has to testify in his life?
Jesus Christ is the Light.
John has to testify Jesus Christ.
In other words, John has to witness Jesus Christ by his way of life.
We too are called by our names and sent from God to witness the Light, Jesus Christ and His marvellous works by our way of life.
This is our purpose.
We are here on this earth for this purpose.
There is no other purpose other than witnessing Jesus Christ in our lives.
If we go the wrong way, we have not understood our purpose according to God’s will in our lives.
That is the reason, we are aimless.
That is the reason, we become useless.
That is the reason, we are not happy.
That is the reason, we are not in peace.
That is the reason, we are not prosperous.
This negative vibration makes me to ask the further question.
The question is: Why am I not able to understand my purpose?
This question leads us to the third point of reflection?
