+ Our readings today direct us to a very sad and pitiable segment of the population who seem to exist in every generation. They are the ones who refuse God's love, God's care, God's help, and God's offer of salvation. There are such persons and they exist even today.
Our gospel reading today tells us how such persons fail to recognize the presence of Jesus as Son of God in their own midst: Jesus says that the crowds did not recognize John the Baptist who announced him because he looked kind of strange, lived in the desert, and ate and drank nothing substantial; and they did not recognize him who came both eating and drinking – but apparently with the wrong crowd – he was friendly with tax collectors and sinners.
Those who judge by their own myopic and limited standards never do see reality correctly!
The first reading today tells how God is so very eager to teach his people what is good for their eternal salvation and to lead them in the way that will reach there; but the condition is that they listen to his commandments – follow his rules and live like they truly want to be counted as members of his family!
This Advent time of year is a good time to pray that all people everywhere allow the Holy Spirit to melt within them their stubborn insistence on seeing and judging things their own way - for in refusing to recognize Jesus who came to this earth laden with every spiritual gift necessary for redemption, they will be condemning themselves to an eternal existence in the cold, dark bleakness of eternal winter!
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light, and warmth and knowledge of life forever!
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