Reflection for December 16
Jesus speaks of Elijah and of John the Baptist as the second coming of Elijah. Jesus compares himself to these prophets and their vocation. He acknowledges that He will suffer as they did for the radical teachings about acceptance of God’s way, loving enemies, sacrificing, and forgiveness.
Elijah, John the Baptist, and Jesus our Messiah were:
Inspired proclaimers of God’s will who spoke truth to evil-doers.
Counter-culture advocates for righteousness, justice, and compassion.
Reformers who suffered at the hands of others because of their promises of a new life for all who chose God.
Today our world is engulfed in monumental conflicts, agitated by malicious actors. There are fewer inspirational leaders, and people are weary. Confusion makes it hard to tell the difference between false prophets and true ones.
The prophets encouraged resistance against leaders whose words didn’t match their deeds, who sought to enrich themselves, lived selfishly and corruptly, and who stoked differences using fear and hatred to divide. The prophets beseeched people to turn away from demagogues.
Instead, the prophets proclaimed God’s ideals—living righteously, building caring communities, fighting oppression, promoting generosity of spirit, and enriching and unifying people through love.
Promoting love in today’s world of polarization seems unfeasible. However, asking for kindness in thought, word, and deed is not! I pray that we choose kindness to be the life-giving gift we share with everyone we encounter during this Christmas season 2023 and into the new year.
Marilynn Cruz-Aponte