Today's gospel reminds us of the importance of John the Baptist and therefore of his message of personal conversion. In Matthew's gospel, John the Baptist appears in the wilderness saying: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Mt 3: 2) while Mark has Jesus, coming in from the wilderness, preaching: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news." (Mk 1: 15) Jesus' proclamation gives further urgency: "the time is fulfilled." Many people, regarded as sinners and treated as outcasts, responded to this call and changed their lives. The Pharisees and Sadducees, watching critically, rather than change their conduct, sought ways to question John's legitimacy: "They (the Pharisees) asked him, 'Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah nor the prophet?' " (Jn 1: 20) Yet they were unable to answer Jesus' question as to the origins of John's ministry (Mt 21: 27) Applying this text to ourselves, we are challenged to see what fruit the Gospel has yielded in our lives. Do we sit on the sidelines analyzing the Church and finding fault in others? Or do we respond with humility by recognizing our own faults and asking for forgiveness? After all, Jesus points out: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." (Mt 9: 12-13)
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