Thursday 10 December 2020 - Second week of Advent - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11, 11-15 - Heaven, spread your dew! Clouds, make the righteous rain! Earth, open up, let the Saviour germinate!

Dear Christians, it is good to remember that we are now in the second week of Advent, a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. Thus, the teachings and example of John the Baptist are part of the preparation of our hearts to meet the Lord. Also, in this Gospel, it is Jesus Christ himself who exhorts us to imitate his humility: he was humble because he did not eat a feast meal but locusts and wild honey; his attire is reduced to the bare essentials: camel hair and a leather belt. As a result, Jesus exalted him: "Among those born of a woman, no one has risen greater than John the Baptist". John must be a good example of humility for us: when we know how to remain humble, it is God Himself who raises us up. So let us show humility in our daily lives, even in the most insignificant things.

This being so, we will also learn from the words of Jesus that although John the Baptist was great, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. In other words, Jesus teaches us to look towards the kingdom of heaven and to focus on its preparation. It is interesting to see how Jesus presents it here. John the Baptist was a great prophet but small in the kingdom of heaven. Here I draw our attention to a passage from the Lord's Prayer that we recite daily: "Thy kingdom come". In other words, the coming of this kingdom of heaven is a longing in our hearts. According to Saint Cyprian, Jesus Himself is the Kingdom of Heaven. And the CCC at number 2816 confirms that "The Kingdom of God is before us. He came in the Incarnate Word, He is announced throughout the Gospel, He came in the death and Resurrection of Christ. The Kingdom of God comes from the Last Supper and in the Eucharist it is in our midst. The Kingdom will come in glory when Christ hands it over to his Father". Therefore, having a relationship with Jesus is for us the key to winning the kingdom of heaven, through prayer and the sacraments. In this Kingdom there is no theft, no revenge, no deception, no lies, no corruption... so let us not allow sin to reign in our mortal body.