Dear St. Patrick family,

During the time of John the Baptist, people had a difficult time recognizing Jesus. They kept on asking John the Baptist, “Are you the Messiah? Are you the one we have been waiting for?” but, John’s answer was very clear, “I am not the Messiah, I am the voice of one crying out in the desert: Make straight the way of the Lord.” Now suppose we are told that the Christ whom we are awaiting is already here in our midst as one of us. In our Gospel this Sunday, John the Baptist says, “there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, I am not worthy to untie His sandals.” Jesus was there but was not recognized because He was not what the Jews were looking for. The Jews had an image of a mighty King.

Over 2,000 years later, we still have trouble recognizing Jesus among us. We sometimes don’t see Him in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the homeless, the sick and in the prisoners. We don’t see Him because we are not looking for Him there. Yet, that is where He is found. In this season of Advent, we prepare for the coming of Christ our Savior. Are we prepared to see Him in others? Are we especially prepared to see Him among the poor and the marginalized, who have no voice in society? Let us remember the words of the Gospel: “Whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me.”

Thanks for praying with us this week. Stay healthy and safe! God Bless!

Father Charles