In this Sunday’s Gospel, we find John the Baptist in prison, burdened with uncertainty. From his confinement, he sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” It is a moment of deep humanity — even the great prophet who prepared the way for the Messiah now struggles with doubt. Many people could identify with John. We are anxious to know if the efforts we make have any meaning. We can experience moments of darkness, doubt, and despair as events, perhaps in our own lives, perhaps in the life of a child, do not work out the way we intended.
John’s question echoes in the hearts of all who have tried to live faithfully yet find themselves wondering if it has been worth it. In response, Jesus does not offer words of theory or comfort; instead, he points to what is happening: “The blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor.” In other words, Jesus’ works speak for themselves. The Kingdom is already breaking into the world, quietly but powerfully, in acts of healing, mercy, and renewal.
As Jesus invited John to trust in him, so too he calls on us to put our trust in him and be faithful to our life’s work. Even when we cannot see the results or understand the path ahead, faith means continuing to believe that God is at work — that the seeds we plant in love and goodness will bear fruit in God’s time.
This third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, calls us to rejoice — not because all our questions are answered, but because we trust in the One who is faithful. The joy of Advent is not naïve happiness; it is the deep assurance that even in our uncertainty, Christ is near. Like John, we are invited to look beyond our doubts and recognise in Jesus the signs of life and hope that reveal God’s unchanging love.
Fr Stephen Berecz
