All throughout history, since Christ’s coming, man has been trying to downplay who He is.
There’s been heresies that deny His divinity.
There’s been heresies that basically deny the Incarnation because they deny Christ’s humanity.
There are those that deny His existence.
Today, Jesus is mostly just a great social justice advocate.
In many ways, people try to get Him on the same playing field as us. The biggest reason we do this, is because ultimately we want to follow our own way. If Christ is just a great guy that lived a long time ago, well that’s nice and all, but I don’t really have to pay Him much mind. My life doesn’t have to break open on His Cross and on His Will.
This never works, though, and whether we realize it or not, living our own way leaves us crying out in the desert—even if we don’t live in a literal desert. The reality is that the desert is within our soul and when it’s not filled with Christ, we die of thirst.
John the Baptist said in our reading today that he was not even “worthy to loosen the straps of His sandals.” Why? Because Christ is God. The only one Who can save us. Fully God, fully Man.
The beautiful thing is, is that though we are unworthy, He still invites us into a relationship with Him. When we let go of our own will and accept that invitation, everything changes for the better.
Have a blessed Third Sunday of Advent, Catholic Pilgrims.
