Gospel

From the Gospel according to John
Jn 1:6-8, 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.

The Gospel of the Lord.

The bar is set so “low.”

I am not the Messiah either. And you? If the Lord, who is so great… so great… so great… clothes Himself in a piece of bread and allows Himself to be consumed, what should I, who am so small… so small… so small… do? As things are I am not to complain, not to demand that I be valued, it seems to me.

John´s confession should be made by me every minute of my life, in every good act, to acknowledge that it is not me who does it but Christ who is the source of all good. He, whom I don’t even deserve to unstrap the sandals of, a typical task of a slave in that era. I don’t deserve to be His slave, and yet, He completely gives Himself to me.

Before Him, I present myself every day so that He allows Himself to be consumed. And I am ashamed of my ridiculous pride, and I marvel at His divine humility.

Here we wait for You, King of Kings, with the empty manger of our soul and our heart.

Applied to Married Life:

Sharon: What are you doing, Andy?

Andy: I am counting the times I have put myself above Our Lord.

Sharon: And how is the count going?

Andy: Well, I see that there are fewer grains of sand on the beach than acts of pride on my part. I don’t know what to do now with all this, because Christmas is in a few days. What do I offer to the Baby Jesus?

Sharon: How sweet you are. You are becoming more and more like a child. I believe you can offer the Lord this feeling of yours. He will love it.

Mother,

The Lord has set the bar so “low” that it makes it impossible for us to lower ourselves and stand behind Him. What great greatness there is in His humiliation. Praise be to the Father who sent Him to be a Witness of His love for us.