Today is known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin for “Rejoiceâ€. It may seem strange, then, that in the Gospel reading we hear that John the Baptist is stuck in prison, awaiting execution. John sends a message to Jesus to try to glean some shred of hope: “Are you the one who is to coma?†John the Baptist has been arrested and he knows he is going to die. Suddenly his world is not so certain and understandably he begins to question everything.
When faced with a crisis in our own life, many of us might respond in the same way. There are many people who have experienced the pain of feeling desolate and bewildered. It can sparked by many things in our lives, such as the loss of a job, or the break-up of a relationship, or disease, or bereavement. Whatever circumstances we face inour lives, we can take comfort from the courage of the people there. It is not always to get better. Yet when Jesus tells us that happy are those who do not lose faith in Him, He promises that He will always be present in the midst of our lives and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Faith is living in the knowledge of this and letting it be at the heart of our lives. It will not always be easy, but today we are called to take the words of Isaiah to heart: “Courage! Do not be afraid. Look, your God is coming.â€