Are You He Who is to come or do we look for another? Identity determines our destiny and during the second week of Advent the Mystical Body focuses on this issue. Is Jesus the Son of God Who became Flesh that we might be re-united to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost? Many have claimed to have come from God and offer the world a path to happiness. How can we decide whom we should accept? The answer lies in the question of St. John the Baptist presented in the Gospel today.
Reflect upon this question to you: Who are you? Do you define yourself by your talents, your work, your family? The world defines us by our occupation. This one is a plumber; that one is a doctor; another is a teacher but who are you? When the disciples of John came to Jesus they asked if Jesus was the Messiah. In His answer we find a description of what He was doing. He healed the sick; he gave sight to the blind; the deaf could now hear; the dead were raised and the poor had the good news preached to them. In conclusion He stated “Blessed is he who is not scandalized by me.” What does this mean?
Whenever our Lord spoke of men being scandalized by Him, the reference moves us to the Cross. How could the powerful God ever be crucified by His own creatures? Can love be that strong? But John the Baptist had pointed this out when he saw Jesus at the Jordan River. “Behold the Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world.” John knew that sin can only be removed by the shedding of blood. The true mark of divinity is the overflowing of love and the Cross would become the sign of that divine love for all of us to see and to choose. Our sacrifices indicate our desire to love as He has loved us.
Remember all the false gods would come to the world in strength but Jesus came and stumbled to Golgatha. He told us that in weakness divine power would reach its perfection. When we identify with the Lamb of God then we discover who we truly are. This is why Jesus remarked to the crowd after answering the disciples of John: “What did you go out to see?” Did you go out to see a prophet? I tell you he is greater than a prophet. John is identified as the precursor of the Lord. He is an Elias in spirit. His identity is determined by his vocation in God’s providence.
Who are you? You are a baptized son/daughter of God. You possess a soul of infinite value and you are defined by your attention to the call of God to bring other souls to the living God. In all cases identity flows from God and is discovered in our prayer life focused upon the Father’s will. Our dear mother Mary leads us for she heard the word of God and responded with her wonderful “fiat”. Her identity is revealed as the highest honor of our race. She is the Mother of the Son, the spouse of the Holy Ghost and the handmaid of the Father. Her identity is determined by her relationship to the holy Trinity.
So many in our world today have no understanding of their dignity or their destiny. When one loses one identity all is lost. It is sad to watch the devil infiltrate human beings and lead them to the destruction of society. They have lost their souls and so they wish every to be as miserable as they are. Do not forget that you were created in the image of God and for the pleasure of God? In this is our peace. Do not fear what evil can do in this world. We are not about this world anyway. We are about incorporating this body and soul into the Mystical Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. No one can steal this identity from you. Meditate upon this wonderful truth. We are to become other Christs.
In the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Fr. Voigt
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