SUNDAY DEC. 6, 2015 – SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
GOSPEL – LK 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
523 St. John the Baptist is the Lord’s immediate precursor or forerunner, sent to prepare his way. “Prophet of the Most High,” John surpasses all the prophets, of whom he is the last. He inaugurates the Gospel, already from his mother’s womb welcomes the coming of Christ, and rejoices in being “the friend of the bridegroom,” whom he points out as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Going before Jesus “in the spirit and power of Elijah,” John bears witness to Christ in his preaching, by his Baptism of conversion, and through his martyrdom.
718 John is “Elijah [who] must come.” The fire of the Spirit dwells in him and makes him the forerunner of the coming Lord. In John, the precursor, the Holy Spirit completes the work of “[making] ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
From “The Great Crusade of Mercy” Testimony of Catalina Rivas (CM 29:21-23)
21) I want to clarify something for you: I have praised the Baptist, but that does not mean that he loved Me more than My apostles, more than the other John, and that I lavished more graces on the Baptist. John the Evangelist was one of My followers; the son of Zechariah was not. How can you say that he is superior to the Saints that I have formed in the New Covenant? Oh, ungrateful children who do not even know how to read the Gospel well.
22) How much harm you do to yourselves and to others. But if you do not understand that the Baptist, though he was very great, was the smallest in the Kingdom of Heaven, at least you will believe that to act as Ambassador is much less than to act as Vicar. The one who acts for Me is superior to the one that who points Me out, is that not true? The rank of one of My vicars is truly higher than that of My beloved John, son of Elizabeth. John is the last man that gave the Old Testament and he is truly the first and foremost of all men in the kingdom of Israel.
23) Once the part of My life that was to be carried out in union with John was fulfilled, then My life was directed towards Andrew, Peter, James, John and the others.
Tim Francis prepared this educational program to help you increase your faith and love for the Holy Trinity and our Blessed Mother. His website is http://YouShallBelieve.com
I have known Tim for many years and recommend his work highly. He is a strong advocate for the “The Real Body and Blood Of Jesus” and the numerous miracles that occur on a daily basis. Both of us are greatly inspired by the amazing writings of Catalina Rivas.
Catalina is one of the few individuals in history who personally experienced the “Stigmata Of Jesus Christ.” The video below was broadcast on FOX TV.
Link to materials for You Shall Believe: http://sciencetestsfaithtools.