It is the Third Sunday of Advent, known as "Gaudete Sunday" or the Sunday of Joy. Yet, the Gospel reading places us in a dark prison cell with John the Baptist.
Joining us from sunny Albuquerque, New Mexico, Fr. Samuel Hakeem explores this difficult contradiction. Why was John the Baptist—the great herald of the Messiah—left to suffer in prison? Why did he begin to doubt, asking Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come?"
In this Word of Hope, Fr. Sam challenges our modern expectations of what "salvation" looks like. If we expect faith to instantly remove all our trials and tribulations, we are set up for disappointment. Instead, we are invited to see how true redemption is found not by escaping suffering, but by uniting our cross with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
**Key Themes:**
* Gaudete Sunday (The Sunday of Joy)
* John the Baptist’s doubt in prison
* The signs of the Messiah
* Dealing with crisis of faith during adversity
**🙏 Timestamps / Chapters:**
0:00 - Introduction from Sunny Albuquerque
0:24 - The Paradox: A Sunday of Joy vs. A Prison Cell
0:36 - John the Baptist asks: "Are you the One?"
1:07 - Jesus’ Response: The Blind See, The Lame Walk
1:54 - The Brutal Fate of John the Baptist
2:29 - Do We Expect Faith to Fix Everything?
3:05 - How to Handle a Crisis of Faith
3:33 - Conclusion: United in the Cross and Resurrection
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#Advent #GaudeteSunday #Catholic #Homily #FrSamuelHakeem #FaithAndSuffering #JohnTheBaptist #Christianity #WordOfHope #SundayMass #spiritualgrowth