3rd Sunday: Make Straight the Way

By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB

When the Jews in Jerusalem sent the priests and Levites to John the Baptist asking, “Who are you?” he answered, “I am not the Christ, not Elijah, not the Prophet.”

They asked again, "Who are you?"

John finally said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’...

"There is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."

The answer puzzled the people, but they dared not seek any more answers from this desert person in strange clothes.

What does today's Gospel call us to?

To me, we are to wake up to the idea that - for centuries - people had waited for the Messiah, someone to save them, someone to tell them how they were to follow God’s commands.

Now they find that this One they put all their hopes in will not be King, but just another human being, like you and I.

He will suffer from heat and cold, hunger and pain. He will feel the pain of broken relationships, loneliness and abandonment.

He will endure, suffer, obey, and love, for the love of God.

What does that mean for us, now?

Questions for Reflection:

What can you “make straight," or repair, in your life?

Consider your relationships with family, friends, acquaintances. Have you been patient, generous, understanding? Do you take them for granted? Might this be an area where you could “make straight” your way?

This Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, means Joyful Sunday. How is God calling you to joy today? Is there something snuffing out the joy buried deep in your heart?