December 14/Third Sunday of Advent
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” ~ Luke 7.18
Sometimes, as we journey along on the path of faith, we find doubt rising up to block our way. Some of us are skeptics by nature and suspect any form of divine revelation. But others of us may encounter a religious teaching that we vehemently disagree with, or suffer so profound a loss that we can’t believe a loving God exists. Doubt may be momentary or persistent; it may be a one-time event, or recur throughout our lives. But doubt bothers us. We may be ashamed of parting ways with an established religious tradition. We may fear that our questioning will lead to full-blown unbelief, that once the camel’s skeptical nose gets under the tent flap, the whole edifice of our faith will fold. Yet in today’s Gospel, even John the Baptist — the prophet who has already pointed to Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah — has a moment of doubt from prison. Is Christ truly who he claims to be, the “one who is to come?” The messianic Jesus takes no offense at John’s question, just as the resurrected Jesus will take no offense at the apostle Thomas’s insistent doubt. Rather, he directs the doubters to consider the facts. In John’s case, Jesus cites the many acts of healing that he has already performed; with the apostle, he points to the compelling physical evidence before Thomas’s very eyes. Pope Francis observed, “We do not need to be afraid of questions and doubts because they are the beginning of a path of knowledge and going deeper; one who does not ask questions cannot progress either in knowledge or in faith.” If John the Baptist could voice his doubts, so may we, as we discern what Christ means in our lives. Our questions may take us deeper into our faith as we, like John, like Doubting Thomas, consider the evidence.
O God, you who are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Help me to embrace doubt as a fundamental part of seeking You. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121425.cfm
To hear the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter’s in the Loop, Chicago, sing “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6dGmfAL5DY&start_radio=1
