Today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. "Rejoice the Lord is near." Pope Francis reminds us: "Hope is the essence of the Christian message. Prophets of hope have eyes turned toward the future." Have no anxiety. Prepare the way for the Lord. John the Baptist identifies himself as a voice crying in the desert but pointing to Christ as the One who will bring light to the darkness of our minds. Each of us have experienced these moments of darkness in our lives. We may feel a sense of incompleteness, something important is missing. Take Courage. Don't settle for blurred vision. Don't settle for disappointment. Our humanity and fragility are rooted in the person God created. What God has promised He will bring to pass. Today is a new day to receive God's favor. God has something amazing to do for you.
We are called to be like John the Baptist, called to be Prophets in our own space. How do you echo, "Prepare the way of the Lord" in your own life? The life of John the Baptist was not easy. He never gives up, never passively accepts fate, but with every ounce of will and hope he continues to face the challengers of his life. In the Gospel of today, John sends word to Jesus from prison, asking if Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus responds by pointing to the miracles he has worked. These miraculous deeds of Jesus are signs to John the Baptist that the reign of God is present.
Today we rejoice as we see glimpses of God's work among us. How do we embrace God's love and reflect it back into our world?
Brother Gabriel O'Brien, OSF
Superior General
Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn
Superior General
Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn
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