Three gateways into God's Kingdom

December 12, 2004 -- Third Sunday of Advent

By Bishop Robert Morneau

	Bishop Robert Morneau
	Questions for reflection: 1. What impresses you? 2. How do we grow in greatness in God's eye? 3. Is God first in your life?

To impress Jesus is quite an achievement. John the Baptist did it. Jesus exclaims: "I solemnly assure you, history has not known a man born of woman greater than John the Baptizer." Wow! Think of Homer and Alexander, Virgil and Cicero, Abraham and Moses and Sarah and . . . John the Baptist takes first place.

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Yet, Jesus qualifies his praise of his cousin John:
". . . the least born into the kingdom of God is greater than he [John]."

How do we gain entrance into this divine kingdom? Baptism is one door into the sacred. It is through the cleansing waters of this sacrament that God's life is poured into us. Five calls are given to us in baptism: the call to maturity, to holiness, to community, to service, and the call to generosity. Our task is to respond to these imperatives by being disciples of the Lord Jesus. Baptism is the gateway into God's love and light in Jesus.

Then there is the Eucharist that makes us kingdom people. We believe in the real presence of Jesus., who comes to strengthen and nourish us on our long pilgrim journey. At Mass, Jesus is present and manifest in word and sacrament. This is the Jesus who gives sight to the blind, health to the ill, freedom to those enslaved in sin. We are the recipients of these graces. We are the recipients of this good news.

In our second reading, the virtue of patience is highlighted. Patient waiting is our duty and being steady of heart is the divine imperative. Like farmers awaiting the germination of the seeds and the growth of their crops, we too must wait on the Lord's timing especially in times of hardship and suffering. But we are assured: Jesus is coming. In fact, Jesus is already here in scripture, in our sacramental life, and in the community. We need but be freed from our blindness and deafness.

Our Advent prophet, Isaiah, is a good mentor. Jesus was impressed with his teaching as he was with John's witness. And Isaiah's message? It was all about the kingdom of God and the glory of the Lord. Joy, gladness, rejoicing are his themes as the parched land comes alive, weak knees are made firm, tongues sing our praise of the Lord, and sorrow is banished from the land. Isaiah was a man of deep faith. Although he lived among people who were lame and feeble, Isaiah saw deep into the future to a time in which God's dream would be realized. Isaiah was one of those born great.

Besides Baptism and Eucharist giving us entry into God's Kingdom there is also the sacrament of Confirmation. "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit!" It is the Spirit of Jesus and the Father that makes the Kingdom a reality. Our Gospel acclamation proclaims: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he sent me to bring Good News to the poor." Our response: "Alleluia!" Praise God for this gift of divine self-giving. It was this Spirit that imbued the mind and heart of Isaiah, James, and John the Baptist. It is that same Spirit given to us in our Confirmation. Our challenge is to be aware of God's indwelling and to response in obedience to whatever the Spirit asks of us.

Fr. Raymond Brown, S.S., one of our best scripture scholars, has this to say about God's kingdom and greatness: "In the kingdom of heaven God has supreme power or authority; closeness to God and therefore greatness in the kingdom comes according to the degree in which people surrender themselves to God, putting Him first in their lives. When God rules a person's life, then that person is great in God's kingdom" (cf. The Churches the Apostles Left Behind, 140).

(Bp. Morneau is the auxiliary bishop of the Green Bay Diocese.)