What do we take from today’s Gospel? If we are really listening well to it, we will take a lot.

Let me begin by continuing the theme I addressed in previous homilies this Advent. We are witnessing, in today’s gospel, the beginning of a revolution. The forces of the world which have had their way with God’s people are in the process of being deposed. God is taking control and he is doing so by casting out the world and bringing in his Son as King. So, Jesus begins preaching about the Kingdom of God being in our midst.

John who is the final prophet of the Old Testament and who is in prison at the behest of one of those worldly forces: the reign of King Herod, now inquires of Jesus as the Messiah.

Here is the key part, Jesus response tells all. People who have uncurable conditions are being healed and the economically ostracized are receiving hope. This is the sign of God’s presence.

The message here is something that we have to hear today because it has long since been forgotten. The sign of the presence of God is people being made whole internally and externally. When you read not only this passage, but throughout the bible, you find that message over and over again.

Fr. Rufus Pereira, one of the most powerful preachers in the world, teaches that Jesus’ mission as defined by the bible was to free people who were under the influence of the Devil. Now it is not as Halloweeny as it may sound. In fact, of the three types of healing he cites, spiritual, emotional and physical he reminds us that the most important is Spiritual, followed by emotional and finally physical. This is precisely what we are supposed to do. The most powerful tool of spiritual healing is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. All the sacraments especially, baptism, reconciliation and the sacrament of the sick are designed to free the person from any hold the demonic may have on them. In fact, there is an exoricism in the Rite of Baptism.

We have been called to receive the healing of God and to spread the good news of this healing. What is the fruit of this healing, holiness. Holiness is a form of saying one is made more human and more alive by God. It is not a form of living a stoic humorless life.

Holiness is the fruit of a transformation in Christ. The holy person has what St. Paul reminds us a renewal of his mind, of his heart and soul. S/he becomes a new person in Christ. Attitudes and ideas change to one those that are rooted in Christ and a miraculous way of looking at the world around us replaces one based on fear and intimidation. The Catholic has a call to live his/her life for Christ and in doing so not only is transformed, but is inviting others to be transformed. This is the message of our Church.

When we forget this, then our faith is becomes dry like old bones. It is just these dry bones, that the Pharisees had promoted, that needed to be changed.

I believe here in the United States we are struggling almost in a similar vein. Their are many who are preaching a dry, law based faith that does not bring healing, that does not bring transformation. This must change. We must open ourselves up to the healing and transforming power of God in our lives. We do that by asking God to heal us, to make us holy, to draw us near to Him and to transform us, to mold us into the beings that He calls us to be. Meanwhile, we ask to be separated from those things that lead us away from Him. Those elements of sin that are undermining our ability to draw close to Christ and to draw others close to Him. We ask for that transformation in our hearts and in our souls and to bring that transformation into our community. We become a community transformed in Christ that manifests His power in our world. This is the revolution that the Gospel of Matthew talks about.

Today we celebrate that revolution with the color rose, a reminder that joy is a central part of this revolution. It is joy that rejects the oppression of the Devil and embraces the freedom of Christ.

Spend this week in prayer, asking God to free you from that which robs your joy and leads you away from Christ. Spend this week in prayer asking God to bring you closer to Him and transform you so that you belong to Him in Joy and finally, I will say that to married couples make sure you do some form of prayer together asking God to strengthen and build up your marriage that through it you may draw closer to Christ everyday and by your marriage draw others including your children to be closer to Christ and to become the community of faith God calls you to be in that sacrament.

Let us celebrate What Christ is doing in our lives everyday, as much as John must have celebrated that the Kingdom of God is now in our midst.

God Bless You,

Fr. Robert J Carr

Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community (Canção Nova). He is the pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Somerville, MA and is the editor of this blog. He is also the author of a blog directed specifically to priests. That can be found at thesacramentallife.blogspot.com

Photo Credit:

Top: Fr. Robert J. Carr

Middle: Canção Nova

Bottom: Hermano Leon