In last Sunday's first reading from Isaiah, the gifts of the Spirit were listed as qualities the Messiah would embody. Today's Gospel has always puzzled me that despite knowing one another, John the Baptist needs to make sure that Jesus is really the one he has been preparing the way for. He sends his own disciples to ask this question to Jesus. Jesus responds by saying that he has been an instrument of good tidings to God’s people: reaching out to the needy, healing the sick, and embodying the attributes listed in the Isaiah.
We too long for a Savior to give us a message if consolation and peace. As we celebrate Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday, may we be filled with the hope that Jesus presence brings to our world.