3rd Sunday

Advent
Is. 35:2-6,
10
James 5:710
Mt. 11:2-

John The Baptist

appears again this
3rd Sunday of Advent,
but this time in Chapter
11 of Matthew right at the
middle of his Gospel and
of Jesus Ministry when
the Baptist was in prison.

Introducti
on:

There, just like anyone of

us, John is tormented with
some doubt about Jesus
and asks:

Are you the one who is to

come or are we to wait for
another?
Kayo po ba ang ipinangakong
darating o maghihintay pa kami
ng iba?

Introducti
on:

1 When the inquiry is conveyed to Jesus,

he answers not theoretically or
philosophically but points to things that
are happening to show who he is (Reality
is better than ideas) :
Go tell John what you see and hear.
Bumalik kayo kay Juan at sabihin ang
inyong naririnig at nakikita.

1 This is at the heart of Christianity.

With Jesus, things are happening and changing as
Isaiah points out in the 1st reading:
The desert will rejoice and flowers will
bloom in the wastelands.
Muling sasaya ang ulilang lupain na matagal nang
tigang; mamumulaklak ang mga halaman sa
disyerto.
This is meant to be understood literally.

Jesus is perceived as a
wonder-worker and
that is why people
were attracted to him.
Jesus does not only
care for the soul but
the body as well. (basic
idea of Incarnation)

1
The blind see

The deaf hear

(Bartimaeus)

(Ephatah)

The dead raised to life

(Lazarus, daughter of Jairus,
Son of the Widow of Naim)

Lepers are cleansed

(The 10 lepers)

The lame walk

(The Paralytic brought down
from the roof)

These physical healings are meant to be

evocative also of spiritual /supernatural
transformation.
Jesus wants for us abundance of life
for the body yes but above all, the divine
life, a share in the love that God is.

Sin can have the

following effects:

The blind wanders around

and needs a guide. The most
focused person in the
natural order can be lost in
the Supernatural.

Jesus comes
as guide
offering the
divine life.

Spiritual
Deafness

Sin can have the

following effects:

We can hear every voice around

When Jesus gives but the voice that matters or the
the divine life,
voice of conscience which
he restores his
according to Card. Newman is
spiritual hearing. the aboriginal vicar of Christ in
ones soul.

Spiritual
Lameness
A person maybe so mobile in the
/Paralysis
natural order
but are stuck in place in

Sin can have the

following effects:

the supernatural. This is sloth or

laziness of spirit.
Mary got ready and hurried of
Gumayak si Maria at
nagmamadaling pumunta
after the Annunciation, meaning she
knows how to move, what to do.

That is what happens

when Jesus pours
grace into ones soul.

Spiritual
Death (Mortal
Certain things
we do are just
Sin)
incompatible with the manner
of Gods life that it expels the
divine life in us. Grace restores
divine life in us.
The Church puts that
divine life in us through
the sacraments.

Sin can have the

following effects:

Conclusion:

Who is Jesus Christ

really?

Just look around.

those spiritually blind, see;

those spiritually deaf, hear;
those spiritually lame, move;
those spiritually dead are
restored back to the divine life.

That would be a
good

Advent

END