False Messiahs

3rd Sunday of Advent

December 13, 2015

First reading                                                                                            Zephaniah 3:14-18

Shout for joy, daughter of Zion,
Israel, shout aloud!
Rejoice, exult with all your heart,
daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord has repealed your sentence;
he has driven your enemies away.
The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst;
you have no more evil to fear.
When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem:
Zion, have no fear,
do not let your hands fall limp.
The Lord your God is in your midst,
a victorious warrior.
He will exult with joy over you,
he will renew you by his love;
he will dance with shouts of joy for you
as on a day of festival.

Psalm                                                                                              Isaiah 12

Second reading                                                                           Philippians 4:4-7 I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near.   There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.

Gospel	Luke  3:10-18

When all the people asked John, ‘What must we do?’ he answered, ‘If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.’ There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, ‘Master, what must we do?’ He said to them, ‘Exact no more than your rate.’ Some soldiers asked him in their turn, ‘What about us? What must we do?’ He said to them, ‘No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!’
  A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’ As well as this, there were many other things he said to exhort the people and to announce the Good News to them.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

The political stage in the Philippines has gone full swing these past few months.  By this time, politicians vying for the presidency (or other elective posts) would have made speeches, promises, appearances, etc.  One of the things that voters should be cautious though is when candidates present themselves as the only person who could save the country from all the evils that beset her.  Looking back at our history, we have witnessed how previous politicians who made such an assertion AND failed to deliver.

In today's Gospel, the people were starting to think that John the Baptist was the Messiah. John could have taken advantage of his popularity and claimed to be the One.  And yet, this humble and honest man told them that they were talking to the wrong guy.  

"Salvation belongs to our God" (Revelations 7:10).  We've seen this when Noah and his brood were saved in the Great Flood, in Israel's liberation from Egypt, in Mary's Immaculate Conception. Ultimately, we've seen this in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Instead of posing as (false) messiahs, candidates for the forthcoming elections should take heed of this truth and rally behind people working together, under the guidance of God, for the betterment of our country. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You came to baptise us with the Holy Spirit and fire. Fill us with Your Spirit so we may remain humble and open to Your grace. Purify us - our families, our country, our Church - by Your fire so that we may truly make room for Your coming.  With Mary Immaculate and John the Baptist we pray. Amen.