St John the Baptist preached repentance to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. A message still fresh for our time, amidst the violence and chaos still found in the world. For our Redeemer desires to lead His flock home to eternal pastures, to be with Him.
To grow deeper in our faith and relationship with Him. St John of the Cross preached that we need to embrace our cross, through the many trials, tribulations and sufferings; we draw closer to Jesus by our deeper contemplation of Him. He is with us through our all.
Glory and Praise to You my Lord Jesus Christ. Now and forever. Amen
St John of the Cross pray for us…
First reading
Isaiah 41:13-20
I, the Lord, your God,
I am holding you by the right hand; I tell you, ‘Do not be afraid, I will help you.’
Do not be afraid, Jacob, poor worm, Israel, puny mite.’
I will help you– it is the Lord who speaks– the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.
See, I turn you into a threshing sled, new, with doubled teeth; you shall thresh and crush the mountains, and turn the hills to chaff.
You shall winnow them and the wind will blow them away, the gale will scatter them.
But you yourself will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The poor and needy ask for water, and there is none,
their tongue is parched with thirst.
I, the Lord, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
I will make rivers well up on barren heights, and fountains in the midst of valleys; turn the wilderness into a lake, and dry ground into waterspring.
In the wilderness I will put cedar trees, acacias, myrtles, olives.
In the desert I will plant juniper, plane tree and cypress side by side; so that men may see and know, may all observe and understand that the hand of the Lord has done this that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Gospel
Matthew 11:11-15
Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm. Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; and he, if you will believe me, is the Elijah who was to return. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!’
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