From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence

12 DECEMBER (Mt 11,11-15)

The Gospel is the absolute truth. It leaves nothing in the obscurity, darkness, supposition or imagination of a man. Every person is placed in his proper light. No one might say, reading the Gospel, I was wrong , I was deceived, I am in this error because no one has enlightened me. The question to be faced is tremendously serious and of vital importance. It is a matter of true eternal salvation.

Salvation comes from the truth. The truth is both divine, eternal, supernatural, but also historical, embodied, natural, of grace, wisdom, ministry, charisma, celestial gifts, divine and human missions. If a single person is known according to falsity, salvation is not accomplished, because this is the result of the truth of the person, never from his falsity. If I do not know who a person is according to truth, never might I get access to the source of my truth. I quench my thirst from a polluted source, which does not give truth and never without truth might there exist true salvation either in time or in eternity.

The Gospel tells us with timely truth who John the Baptist is. John the Baptist reveals us with perfect truth who Christ Jesus is. Knowing the truth of both with divine precision, everyone knows whom he must follow in order to be saved.

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites (to him) to ask him, “Who are you?” he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Messiah.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord,”‘ as Isaiah the prophet said.” Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing (Jn 1,19-28).

Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew 13 about ceremonial washings. So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said (that) I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease” (Jn 3,25-30).

What John the Baptist works, with punctual honesty, must be operated by every other man, whoever he is. Everyone is obliged to tell the world who he is according to historical and eternal truth and also confess the truth of Christ the Lord always according to divine and historical truth. If a man refuses to make this confession and profession of truth, his falsity drags many others into his same mistake. But also too many people are prevented from reaching the true salvation that is in Christ alone.

Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear.

Jesus also with the divine and the human, historical clarity, reveals who John the Baptist is. This is not the Messiah of the Lord. He is the one who comes to prepare the way for the Messiah of God, so that all accept him and let themselves be grasped by his true salvation. Today, this honesty is lacking to men. It is almost entirely missing to the Christian. He no longer knows who he is. How might he reveal, show and tell others the way of true salvation?

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us our Christian truth.