Sunday<\/p>\n
The two blind men greet Jesus as Lord, the common title for God, and Son of David, a title deeply associated with the Messiah. Even though Jesus knows what we want before we ask, He calls us to ask freely so that we might learn of His mercy. The Fathers also give a spiritual interpretation to this miracle, with the blind men symbolizing future generations who would come to faith only by hearing, without the benefit of seeing Christ in person. Those who tried to silence the blind men are persecutors and tyrants who, in every generation, try to silence the Church. Nevertheless, under persecution, the Church all the more confesses Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
Monday<\/p>\n
Saint Luke testifies that \u201cthe word of God\u201d<\/em> came to John \u2014 in other words, a special calling or revelation from God that prompted him to begin his service. Saint Matthew calls the place where he commenced his service \u201cthe wilderness in Judea\u201d. Situated on the western shores of Jordan and the Dead Sea, it carried this name because of its sparse population. After God\u2019s calling, John started to appear in the more populous areas of the region, like Bethabara on Jordan (John 1:28), or Aenon near Salim (John 3:23), closer to the water, which was necessary for baptism. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Evangelists Matthew (3:3), Mark (1:3) and Luke (3:4) call John the Baptist \u201cthe voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His path straight\u201d.<\/em> Exactly the same way John the Baptist calls himself in the Gospel of John (1:23). These words are taken from the Prophet Isaiah\u2019s speech, where he comforts Jerusalem by saying that the period of their humiliation is over, and that soon the glory of the Lord will appear and \u201call flesh shall see it together\u201d <\/em>(Isaiah 40:5).<\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n Preparing people for the entry into this Kingdom, which was soon to be revealed with the coming of the Messiah, John called people to repent and those who reacted to that call, he baptized with \u201ca baptism of repentance for the remission of sins\u201d<\/em> (Luke 3:3). This was not the blessed Christian baptism, but only the immersion into the water as a symbol that the person wished to be absolved of his sins, the same way as the water cleansed his body of the bodily grime. \u00a0John the Baptist was a strict ascetic, who wore the roughest raiment of camel\u2019s hair and ate locusts and honey of wild bees. He was a sharp opposition to the contemporary teachers of the Jewish people, and his sermon on the coming of the Messiah, the coming of Whom so many were tensely anticipating \u2014 could not but attract general attention.<\/p>\n Wednesday<\/p>\n Even the Pharisees and Sadducees could not watch indifferently as masses of people came to John, and they themselves went to him into the wilderness, but hardly with the sincere feelings. Therefore, it is little wonder that John greets them with the stern, reproaching words: \u201cBrood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?\u201d <\/em>(Matt. 3:7). The Pharisees skillfully covered their vices with the strict observance of the purely outward instructions of the Law of Moses, while the Sadducees, succumbing to the bodily comforts, rejected that what went against their epicurean style of living: the spiritual life and retribution beyond the grave. John accuses them of arrogance, of their assurance in personal uprightness, and instills onto them that their hope of being Abraham\u2019s descendants, will bring them no benefit if they do not carry out the fruits worthy of repentance, because \u201cevery tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire\u201d <\/em>(Matt. 3:10; Luke 3:9), as useless. The genuine children of Abraham are not those who have originated from him by flesh, but those who will live in the spirit of his faith and devotion to God. \u201cAnd do not think to say to yourselves, \u2018we have Abraham as our father.\u2019 For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones\u201d (Matt. 3:9; Luke 3:8).<\/p>\n Thursday<\/p>\n Confused by the strictness of the speech, people began to ask: \u201cWhat shall we do then?\u201d<\/em> (Luke 3:10). John answers that it was necessary to perform deeds of love and benevolence, and to refrain from any type of the evil. These would be the \u201cfruits worthy of repentance\u201d. \u00a0<\/em>Then there was the time of a general expectation of the Messiah\u2019s coming, together with that the Jews believed that the Messiah, when He would come, He would baptize (John 1:25). So it is not surprising that many started to pose the question, if John is Christ Himself. To this John replied that he baptizes with water unto repentance (Matt. 3:11), i.e. as a sign of repentance. But the One, Who is coming after him is Mightier, Whom he, John, is not worthy to untie His sandals and carry them (Luke 3:16; Mark 1:7, 3:11), just as slaves do for their master. \u201cHe will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire\u201d <\/em>(Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16; Mark 1:8) \u2014 the grace of the Holy Spirit will act in His baptism, searing every type of iniquity with fire. \u201cHis winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire\u201d <\/em>(Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17) \u2014 Christ would clean His people, just as the master cleans his thrashing floor of weeds and dirt, collecting the wheat, i.e. gathering all those who have believed in Him into His Church, as though into a granary, and all those rejecting Him, will subject to the eternal suffering.<\/p>\n Friday<\/p>\n \u201cJesus came from Nazareth of Galilee\u2026\u201d<\/em> Evangelist Mark adds that He came specifically from Nazareth of Galilee. Apparently, it was in the 15th<\/sup> year of Tiberius Caesar\u2019s ruling when, according to Saint Luke, Jesus became 30 \u2014 it was the age, required to be a teacher of faith. Saint Matthew writes that John refuses to baptize Jesus saying: \u201cI need to be baptized by You, and are you coming to me?\u201d <\/em>But according to the Gospel of John, the Baptist did not know Christ before His baptism (John 1:33), until he saw the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descending upon Him. There is no contradiction here. Before the baptism, John did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. However, when He came to him requesting to be baptized, John, being a prophet who penetrated people\u2019s hearts, immediately felt His holiness, purity and His eternal pre-eminence over him; therefore he could not but exclaim: \u201cI need to be baptized by you\u2026\u201d <\/em>When he saw the Holy Spirit ascending on Jesus, then he became finally assured that before him was the Messiah-Christ.<\/p>\n Saturday<\/p>\n After the baptism, \u201cJesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil\u201d <\/em>(Matt. 4:1). This was situated between Jericho and the Dead Sea. One of the mountains in this wilderness still carries the name of the \u201cForty days\u201d because the Lord fasted there for 40 days. The first thing God\u2019s Spirit (that resided in Jesus with the baptism) did was to lead Him into the wilderness, so that through fasting and prayer He could prepare Himself to the great service of saving mankind. There, He fasted for 40 days and nights, i.e. according to everything, not eating anything and finally \u201cwas hungry\u201d<\/em> (Matt. 4:2, Luke 4:2), that is, He reached the acute stage of hunger and drain of energy. \u201cNow\u2026 the tempter came to Him\u201d<\/em> (Matt. 4:3). This was the concluding approach of the tempter, because according to Luke, during the whole period of forty days, the devil never ceased to tempt the Lord (Luke 4:2).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sunday The two blind men greet Jesus as Lord, the common title for God, and Son of David, a title deeply associated with the Messiah. 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