John was unsparing in his insistence on faith. He said that anyone who denied the Father and the Son was an 'antichrist.' Whom was he referring to - the believers? No! He was referring to those members of the community who had come to know Jesus Christ but by their words, thoughts, and actions had denied Him. John urged his followers to abide in Jesus - that means to dwell and remain in Jesus Christ always, not just for an hour on Sunday. Our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions should always be a mirror of Our Lord Jesus.

In the Gospel, the delegation from Jerusalem interrogated John the Baptist thoroughly. He denied that he was the messiah, Elijah, or one of the other prophets. They then asked, 'Then who are you and why are you baptizing?' His reply was simple: his sole mission in his life was to prepare the way for someone else - Jesus - by raising and opening the minds and hearts of the people. It is also the mission of all who claim to follow Jesus today. We are privileged to take part in this mission by helping others to prepare a way for the healing of humanity by Jesus the Lord in our hurting world.