3rd Sunday of Advent (B) : 17th December 2023

‘The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me’ – Jesus read these words in the synagogue in the Gospel of Luke and applied them to Himself. His mission was to bring hope, healing, and freedom to a suffering humanity, and this was reflected in His ministry. It should be our way of life, too.

Paul urged his followers to be joyful, a sign of God’s presence, and to pray unceasingly. This way of praying is not necessarily in words but is a constant openness of the mind and heart to God. It should be as important to us as breathing.

We should also be open-minded, not fearful and closed off, we should also test the spirits to ensure they come from God.

John the Baptist was sent by God to prepare the way, but the authorities only wanted to interrogate Him. They wanted to know who he was so they could pin a label or name on him – and be put into a category. But God will not be controlled. John denied any labels they wanted to give him and pointed only to the one he had baptised.

Our lives should be about Jesus, not labels, institutions, politics, control, or anything else. Jesus is the light, and we need to become light, too.

Lord, enlighten my mind and heart.