Third And Fourth Week Of Advent 2016

John the Baptist was the one who prepared for the way of the Lord.  The gospel reading on December 4, 2016, the second Sunday of Advent, was Matthew 3:1-12 [1] in which John the Baptist said, "'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'"  Continuing with John the Baptist, on December 11, 2016, the third Sunday of Advent, the gospel reading was Matthew 11:2-11 [2] in which Jesus spoke of John:

This is the one about whom it is written:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.
Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. [Emphasis orginal.] [3]

Looking ahead to December 18, 2016, the fourth Sunday of Advent, the gospel reading turns to Joseph who was asked by an angel to take Mary into his home and they were to name the Son Who would be born Emmanuel (Matthew 1:18-24) [4].  In another seven days, it would be Christmas Day.  The questions to ask oneself are: will I be ready to celebrate the arrival of Christ and to join Him on the path of humility through life's vicissitudes?



[1] http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120416.cfm
[2] http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121116.cfm
[3] This blogger does not understand what Jesus meant when He said that among those born of women that none had been greater than John the Baptist.  Did He mean that John the Baptist was greater than the Blessed Virgin Mary and Himself Who were both born of women, or did He mean that John the Baptist was indeed the greatest among the sinners born of women?  The latter has to be true since John the Baptist could not be greater than the Blessed Virgin Mary Who was preserved from the stain of Original Sin or Jesus Who is the God-Son.  Alternatively, perhaps the answer could be found in the very next sentence of Jesus Who said that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven would be greater than John the Baptist.  Who exactly is the "least" in the Kingdom of Heaven?  Two people come to mind.  The first is the Blessed Virgin Mary because She was the one person Who was born of a sinner, Who humbled Herself before God with Her willingness to do whatever God willed and Who entered the Kingdom of Heaven by means of a preordained and God-willed Assumption as compared to Jesus Who returned to Heaven by His Self-willed Ascension, but the Blessed Virgin Mary is not likely the "least" in the Kingdom of Heaven.  This blogger thinks that Jesus was referring to Himself when He spoke of the "least" in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Even though Jesus was born not of a sinner but of the Immaculate Conception (the Blessed Virgin Mary told Bernadette Soubirous on Thursday, March 25, 1858: "'I am the Immaculate Conception.'" See http://www.catholicpilgrims.com/lourdes/bg_lourdes_conception.htm), Jesus' life from birth to death was a life of humility, and it was Jesus' steadfast humility that Jesus became the "least" in the Kingdom of Heaven.  By being the "least" Christ able to triumph over Sin and Satan.  Therefore, as great as John the Baptist was among sinners born of women, he was neither greater than the Mother of God nor the Son of God.
[4] http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121816.cfm