Saint John the Baptist preaching in the Wilderness,
Pier Francesco Mola, c.1640, National Gallery (UK)

Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
(Matthew 11:4–6)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Third Sunday of Advent
James 5:7–10
December 11, 2022

Last week, we noted that most of the authors of the New Testament urged their readers to be patient. They expected Jesus to return and establish the Kingdom and were disconcerted that it was taking so long. They also believed that acceptance of Jesus, who they thought was at very least the Messiah, would make their lives easier. Instead, they seemed to have more problems than had they not joined the church. To make matters, even worse most of the New Testament was written before there was any truly organized persecution of the church from Roman authorities and the stresses and strains came from within the church or family. We saw this last week when looking at Paul’s letter to the Romans and we see it again this week in the Letter of St. James. These letters are usually, if very incorrectly, pitted against each other but speak together with one voice of encouragement to the weary Christian: now as well as then.

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