Fr. Michael writes: John the Baptist is one of the most important figures of this Advent season, so much so, that he dominates the liturgy of last Sunday and this. There he stands, between the Old and the New Testaments, the heir to all the promises made by God to the People of Israel, the first to recognize their fulfillment in the person of Jesus. In our Church, in our society, we desperately need our John the Baptists today – those who clearly recognise the person and work of Christ and who bring others to Him. Like John the Baptist himself, such people will not necessarily get a warm welcome. They are required to proclaim the truth about our faith, about our morals. Not everyone finds that easy. And like John the Baptist, they are required to acknowledge their own limitations – the message is more important than the messenger. We pray God may raise up such courageous servants of the Gospel in the Church today.3rd Sunday of Advent