"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands."
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
REFLECTION
"Then the disciples understood"
As we read in the Canticle of Zechariah, pause and ponder on John the Baptist.
"for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. "
Forgiveness, tender compassion and guidance lead us to peace. Yes, we all look forward to these as we meet, understand, know, and grow in our relationship with Jesus, especially this Advent.
But there is more than this.....Elijah was tasked to bring people back to God in preparation for the Messiah, "to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers". (Malachi 3:24)
There are jokes about family gatherings and that "odd person" in our family, there are monies spent here and there to make our loved ones happy, people who will spend Christmas alone, and those who cannot forgive an injury, cannot forgive God or who are not forgiven by their parents, children, friends or associates.
Let us welcome all this Christmas with the heart of Jesus. May we testify about Jesus with clarity, boldness, certainty with no ambiguity, firm and knowledgeable, with the tender compassion of our Lord, about God and His salvific plan. May I avoid the temptation of glorifying myself, not properly responding to the needs of others and performing good deeds but lacking in love.
Comentarios