THE VOICE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS December 8, 2024

Today the Gospel introduces the figure of St. John the Baptist “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”.

       St. Luke, from whose Gospel we will be reading during this

liturgical year which has just begun, gives us very precise historical details of just when all these events took place - events which were to usher in Our Lord’s public ministry, the era of the Messiah. This emphasis on dates and historically verifiable persons was divinely guided. The Holy Spirit, Who inspires all Sacred Scripture, foresaw that a time would come when some people would question the very fact of Christ’s existence, let alone His saving work for all mankind. With this in view, He made sure that St. Luke put down every detail which would show future generations that all he writes about is no myth or legend, but the simple truth.               ~ FR. PAUL DOBSON