DAILY HOMILIES #St. Lucy

Why, then, did Jesus say that John the Baptist is Elijah that is to come? 1) To show that the prophecy about the return of Elijah has come to pass. This implies that Jesus is truly the Messiah. 2) To emphasise (praise) John the Baptist’s excellence. Note that Jesus’s words, at this point, were a funeral oration for John the Baptist, who had just been beheaded. 3) To teach us that we remain alive as long as people continue our good works. Elijah died, yet he was alive in John the Baptist.

God’s commandments (righteous living) were never intended to punish us. These commandments are for our happiness and prosperity. To think that there is something to gain from going against God’s instruction is to believe the devil’s lies. What did Adam and Eve gain from their disobedience?