Don't Lose Sight

First Reading: IS 35:1-6A, 10

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.

Responsorial Psalm: PS 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

Second Reading : JAS 5:7-10

Brothers and sisters:

Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Gospel: MT 11:2-11

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,  he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,  “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus said to them in reply,  “Go and tell John what you hear and see:  the blind regain their sight,  the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:

Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.

Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Reflection 
By Pam Manzano

Here in the Philippines, we have looming issues on countless extra judicial killings, the continuous waging of war on drugs, the political circus, the drama of our every day lives - and I am just starting. I can go on and on and on and in the process easily lose track of who I am as a person, more so as a Christian.

The Gospel today can be taken as a reminder of faith, of love, and of grace. John the Baptist was preaching about the Messiah. In the dark prison, he heard from his disciples what the Messiah was doing, but John was not sure if He is the One. John got too busy in preaching and converting others that he almost missed the One whom he is preaching about. 

Same for us. We can get so engrossed in the current state of what is happening and lose sight of what is to come, of why we are here, of why we are called. The tendency to be pulled into the battle of opinions that is in Facebook or other social media networks can be so overwhelming that we sometimes tend to forget our duties as a child of God and as a testimony to God's faithfulness. We hold our opinions so high that we forget how it is to love and be compassionate. We forget who we are and what our purpose is. We forget that life is to be respected, that Jesus came for the sinners, for the tax collectors, for the unfaithful. 

If only we focus more on loving one another instead of focusing on one another's shortcomings; if only we give love to those who hurt us; if only we try to pull the people around us up instead of pushing them down just so we can get to the top; if only we remind ourselves daily that it is better to give than to receive, it is way better to understand than be understood, then we make ourselves part of helping the blind people see, the lame walk, those with sickness healed, and the dead raised. 


The world can use more people who are like Jesus. There is too much hatred already and we do not need that anymore. With people around us needing our collective help, let us be a doer and not just a speaker.

Prayer

Father, please help us to switch our focus to Jesus, our Saviour. Let us be filled with His presence always. Amen