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Gospel commentary for Saturday, December 14, 2024
The mission of rebuilding community
After witnessing the Transfiguration, the disciples grapple with a profound question: if Jesus is the Messiah, why hasn’t Elijah returned as prophesied? Jesus reveals that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist, whose mission was rejected and whose life was taken. Like Elijah, John prepared the way for the Lord, calling for repentance and the restoration of community—a mission so radical it threatened the existing power structures.
The life and mission of St. John of the Cross resonate deeply with this Gospel reflection. In a time when the Church needed renewal, St. John faced fierce opposition as he sought to reform the Carmelite Order. Like John the Baptist, his call for a return to spiritual purity and intimacy with God was seen as a threat to the comfortable norms of his era.
Jesus continues John’s mission, demonstrating through His life that the love of God and the love of neighbour are inseparable. His teachings challenge systems of oppression and call for a new way of living—one rooted in fraternity and mutual care. This mission, however, is dangerous, as it confronts the forces that benefit from division and exploitation. Like John, Jesus is rejected and ultimately put to death.
St. John of the Cross endured great suffering for this cause, including imprisonment and mistreatment by his own community. Yet, he remained steadfast, illuminating the path of transformation through his writings.
Both John the Baptist and St. John of the Cross demonstrate that renewal often comes through sacrifice. Their prophetic courage calls us to confront the forces that divide us—whether systems of injustice, consumerism, or complacency—and to rebuild a community rooted in love and solidarity.
Inspired by their example, we are called to embrace the Gospel’s challenge to live as agents of renewal, trusting that, through suffering and perseverance, God’s transformative work in us will bear fruit for His kingdom.