Preparing the way

Joseph Lee L'Heureux

This past June 24th the Church celebrated John the Baptist’s feast day, a day when we recognize the role John the Baptist played in announcing our redemption. Jesus said of John the Baptist; “I tell you the truth: among those born of women, there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he:” (Mtt 11:11) That is to say, he who is born of the Spirit is greater.” (Jn. 3:5-8) John the Baptist came baptizing with water and pro-claimed; “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, His sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with Fire.” (Mtt. 3:11) These past two millenniums the Church has recognized this earthly saint and given him the honor of listing him among the saints in the Christian hall of fame. Now two thousand years later, Mother Mary in what she claims is the last time she will appear on earth began another sequence of daily appearances. These appearances, which began on John the Baptist feast day, 1981, to six children in Medjugorje, Croatia, have created a great spiritual fervor in the Catholic Church; An exodus of over 30 million pilgrims on a heavenly quest here on earth culminating with an ascension into the heavenly rhelms. This co-incidence or “God-incidence” of John and Mary seems too much to overlook since John came preparing the way for Jesus Earthly Ministry, proclaiming the Kingdom of God on earth. Mary seems to be coming to prepare, and remind us that we too have an earthly role, of proclaiming the Kingdom of God as John did, so that our souls might experience the Kingdom of Heaven later. For thirty five hundred years Jews have awaited the coming of a Messiah, and for two thousand years Christians have awaited the second coming of Jesus, this same Messiah, are our expectations about to be fulfilled? The “Lord Jesus Christ”, as identified by St. Peter, (Matt: 16:15-16) during his venture on earth to redeem us said: “ . .even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the father:” (Jn 10:38) and “I and the Father are one.” (Jn. 10:30) and “He who has seen me, has seen the Father.” (Jn.14:9) If we have come to believe these testimonies of two or more witnesses that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh,” (2 Jn:7) then “we know also that the Son of God has come, and given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true—even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 Jn. 5:20) After Jesus’ resurrection, in the last of His eight appearances to convince his disciples that He had indeed, risen from the dead, “He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.”(Act 1:9) ““As the disciples were looking intently into the sky as He was going, two men dressed in white stood beside them.” “Men of Galilee”, they said: “Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen go into heaven.”” Again we have two or more witnesses, this time two heavenly beings, (angels) plus a group of earthly ones, as millions of others have come to believe. “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son: that he (or she) might be the first among many brothers (and sisters). Those He predestined, he also called; and those he called he also justified; those he justified He also glorified.’ (Rom. 8:28-30) This week on August 15th the Church celebrates the Assumption of the virgin, our heavenly Mother Mary: There is no doubt she was called for her mission as Mother of her Divine Son, Jesus, then justified, and now glorified as the scriptures promise. More than that, she is also the example or confirmation, a pre-figuration of what we have come to believe, the resurrection of the dead; our soul’s first and eventually the resurrection of our bodies in the last judgment. (1st Pet. 1:3-4; Rev. 20:5, Jn. 6:40) In this day and age, we have six children who have seen the virgin Mary daily, in Medjugorje, appearing in a cloud, for the past twenty seven years, and over thirty million pilgrims standing by, bearing witness to this phenomena by their changed lives. Surely she too can, say as Jesus did, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” thereby she also can say, “if you do not believe me than believe the miracles” (Jn10:38) Most surely she is in the Father as Jesus is in the Father, all tightly bound together by the Holy Spirit. Today we have millions of people who believe in Mother Mary’s’ apparitions, Protestant, Catholics and even Muslims, are we prepared? If this is a final preparation for the second coming or its actual manifestation before our very eyes are we preparing ourselves? “Lord Jesus we believe, heal or cure our disbelief.” God bless.