Sunday, December 11 : Homily attributed to Saint Hippolytus of Rome

Let us honor the compassion of a God who has come to save, not to judge, the world. John, the Lord’s forerunner, who had previously been unaware of this mystery, as soon as he learned that Jesus was truly the Lord, cried out to those who came to be baptised: “Brood of vipers (Mt 3:6), why look to me so insistently? I am not the Christ; I am a servant, not the Master, a mere subject, not the king. I am a sheep, not the shepherd, a man not a God. When I came into the world I cured my mother’s barrenness, but her virginity was not made fruitful by me. I came from below, I did not come from above. I bound my father’s tongue (Lk 1:20), I did not exercise divine grace … I am lowly and inferior, but after me comes the one who was before me (Jn 1:30). He comes afterwards in time, but beforehand he was in the inaccessible and inexpressible light of the divinity. ‘He who is stronger than I is coming, and I am not worthy to take off his sandals: he will baptise you in Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11). I am below him, but he is free. I am subject to sin, but he destroys sin. I am a teacher of the Law, but he brings with him the light of grace. I preach as a slave, but he legislates as a master. The earth is my bed, the heavens are his. I baptise with the baptism of repentance, but he gives us the grace of adoption. “He will baptise you in Spirit and in fire.” Why do you honor me? I am not the Christ.”
Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team