Daily Gospel Reflection
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December 11, 2022
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.”
What a humbling, confidence-shaking question John’s disciples pose to Jesus. In the face of this challenge, Jesus doesn’t cower or back down. Nor does he simply point to his royal lineage or quote the ancient prophets to answer their query.
Jesus answers the challenge of John and his disciples in the best way—he invites them to decide based on his record. He tells the disciples to report on what they hear and see; in other words, he wants them to observe his results, to look closely at his healing and miracles and messages of hope and joy.
Clearly, John’s disciples can report back, “We’ve found our man.”
I’ve certainly faced similar confidence-shaking situations, which seemed consequential at those times in my life. During athletic tryouts, coaches were asking, “Should we pick you for our team, or should we select another player?” On job interviews, prospective employers were certainly thinking, “Should we hire you or another applicant?” These moments of judgment can be nerve-wracking, but Jesus sets an excellent example of how we should approach them.
Make your case built on results and how you have made a difference. In the grander scheme of things, away from baseball tryouts or job applications, I find Jesus telling me through this passage that his offer of eternal life relies on my real, active engagement with others. I can have confidence in those moments when I bring his message of peace and joy to others—those every day little miracles of hope and love.
At the end of our lives, Jesus may ask, “Should I pick you or look for another?” I pray we can all turn confidently and say, “What have you heard and seen?”
Prayer
God of our hope, on this third Sunday of Advent we light the pink candle of joy, for the dawn of our salvation is near at hand! Anoint our hearts with your glad tidings of the coming of our Savior, that we might—with Notre Dame Our Mother—proclaim the greatness of the Lord. For our Lord comes to dwell with us, to set us free from all that would dare to quench the Spirit, and to announce again a year of favor from the Lord. In joyous hope, we make our prayer in Christ our Savior. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Daniel the Stylite is a famous monastic figure who is honored by both Eastern and Western Christian churches.
Daniel was born around 409 in the north of what is now modern-day Iraq. Daniel entered a nearby monastery at the age of twelve and lived in this same monastery until he was thirty-eight. During a voyage that Daniel made with his abbot to Antioch, he passed by the pillar where the famous St. Simeon the Stylite lived.
A stylite was a monk who offered his life by forsaking the world quite literally by forsaking earth and climbing on top of a pillar where he would live for the rest of his life.
With his abbot, Daniel visited many convents and holy sites. Daniel finally retired in 451 A.D. into the ruins of a pagan temple and established his own pillar north of Constantinople.
Daniel had not consulted the owner of the land where he placed his pillar. Thus, the land’s rightful owner appealed to both the emperor and patriarch to dislodge Daniel. Neither budged to displace the Stylite, thus practically coining the phrase: ask forgiveness, not permission.
In fact, the patriarch Gennadius, instead of ousting Daniel, ordained him as a priest, administering the Eucharist to Daniel and receiving the Eucharist from the newly ordained priest by the means of a ladder.
Daniel lived on the pillar for thirty-three years. Due to continuous standing, his feet were reportedly covered with sores, cuts, and ulcers, and the winds of Thrace sometimes completely stripped him of his scanty monastic clothing. Despite having no parlor, Daniel received many impressive visitors, among them the emperors Leo I and Zeno. Even from the top of his pillar, he engaged in theological debate and took a strong stance against Monophysitism.
Daniel quickly became a pious tourist attraction for the people. From his pillar, Daniel celebrated the Eucharist, preached sermons, dispensed spiritual advice, and cured the sick who were brought up to him. Daniel finally died at the ripe old age of eighty-four in the year 493.
St. Daniel the Stylite, who lived with evangelical poverty, simplicity, and boldness—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Daniel the Stylite is in the public domain. Last accessed November 1, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
