The people of Israel have waited longingly for the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist was thought to be the Messiah, but he was not. Now he wanted to know, and he sent his disciples to enquire of Jesus whether He was the one who was to come or must they wait for someone else?

This intense longing is reflected in the First Reading. Isaiah prays to the Lord above, "Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down." He continues to pray that this salvation, besides coming from above, also comes from below, "Let the earth open for salvation to spring up. Let deliverance, too, bud forth."

According to Isaiah, the Lord is a God of integrity and a saviour. He is unrivalled and calls all to turn to Him and be saved. Before this God, every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear, saying, "From the Lord alone come victory and strength."

This was the answer that Jesus gave to John's followers: "The blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the Good News is proclaimed to the poor." Only the God-Messiah who gives victory and strength can do all this - Jesus is doing all these things. It then goes to show that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. Do we have faith in Jesus as the Messiah? We have to constantly ask ourselves this question. And what is our response each time we ask?