The four Gospels proclaim the same message about Jesus, yet each Evangelist has
unique insights into the Old Testament’s witness to Jesus. In today’s Gospel (Mt 3:1-
12), Matthew aligns himself with the three other Evangelists in applying the words of
Isaiah (Is 40:3) to John the Baptist:
A herald’s voice in the desert:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make straight His paths (Mt. 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4; Jn 1:23)
Wherever crowds of people gather, there are many voices and many sounds, making it
difficult to distinguish what is being said even directly to you.
John went into the quiet of the desert so that his voice might be heard, as St. Thomas
Aquinas observes: “He was in the desert so that men might listen to him more tranquilly
… for in the desert only zealous men were going out to hear him“(Thomas Aquinas,
Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew, 3).
The Gospel of John declares: “This man came as a witness to give testimony to the
light” (Jn 1:7). Thomas explains that John’s preaching and baptism oriented people
towards Christ, “… we are brought to the knowledge of spiritual things through things
that are familiar to us” (Commentary on Matthew, 3).
Some Fathers of the Church identify John as the voice, while Jesus is the explicit Word
of God, as Thomas reflects: “The revelation of divine mysteries was not made through
John except so far as he announced Christ and through Christ the Word was revealed:
‘The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father has revealed Him’ (Jn 1:18)”
(Commentary on Matthew, 3).
John urges people to penance. Thomas recalls the words of St. Augustine: “No man
who has the use of free-will can begin the new life, unless he firstly repents of his former
life” (Sermon 351). As John proclaims, preparation for the way of the Lord begins with
seriously addressing our lives. Otherwise, changes at the coming of the Lord would be
no deeper than those of mischievous school children rushing to their seats when they
hear their teacher approaching.
John speaks directly to the consciences of the people: “Bring forth fruit worthy of
penance” (Mt 3:7). Many took his message seriously: “They were baptized by him in the
Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mt 3:6).
John’s mission was to alert his listeners that One is coming “Prepare the way of the
Lord” (Mt 3:3). John’s first message was his own life, as Thomas notes: “John bore
witness to Christ by his life” (Commentary on Matthew, 3).

The Old Testament promised a better life for those who kept the Law but John
proclaims a spiritual kingdom, as Thomas teaches: “John was the first to teach that the
concept of the kingdom of heaven was not to be understood as being primarily based
upon earth” (Commentary on Matthew, 3).
John especially challenges the Pharisees and Sadducees: “You brood of vipers. Who
told you to flee the wrath to come? …The ax is at the root of the tree. Every tree that
does not bear fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire… His winnowing fan is in his
hands and He will clear His threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the
chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Mt 3:7,10,12).
Thomas grants that these men “were speaking well on many points” but he perceives
basic flaws: “A Pharisee is one who is set apart from common life on account of his
observances … Phares means ‘division,’ which is opposed to charity. And these men
were completely separated from other men, as if they were to have a superabundance
of the Holy Ghost” (Commentary on Matthew, 3).
Thomas says of the Sadducees: “Other men, namely the Sadducees, were saying that
they were just [righteous] men on account of certain special observances of the Law.
These same men were not receiving the Prophets, nor were they affirming that after the
corruption of the body the soul would be raised again, nor the existence of anything
spiritual… usurping justice for themselves; against whom it is written: ‘For they, not
knowing the justice of God, and seeking to establish their own, have not submitted
themselves to the justice of God’ (Rom 10:3) … even though they appeared to be more
just” (Commentary on Matthew, 3).
Penance has a purpose, as Thomas recognizes, but John’s message is not just what
we need to do but more significantly what God will do: “He firstly advises penance; and
secondly, he announces salvation” (Commentary on Matthew, 3).
We assume that after we make the initial steps to prepare for the Lord, the Lord,
satisfied with our sincere efforts, comes to our help. Thomas reminds us that experience
shows the futility of this approach.
Thomas insists that God gives us the strength to do what He asks us to do. While we
are asked to prepare the way for the Lord, we can’t prepare His way unless He comes
to help us even in the preparation, as Thomas explains: “Now it seems more suitable to
have said, ‘prepare your way’ to receive the Lord. But it should be noted that we were
so weak that we could not get near God, unless He came to us” (Commentary on
Matthew, 3).
Historically, Jesus didn’t wait until humanity already had spiritual and moral integrity
before entering our world. Rather, the Savior came after humans knew from their own
emptiness that they desperately needed a Savior.

We need God’s help to “prepare” for Jesus’ deeper coming. According to Thomas, on
our part, “faith” prepares the way: “Faith, which comes by hearing: ‘That Christ may
dwell by faith in your hearts’ (Eph 3:17).” Thomas comments: “We receive Him through
a faith which is most strong because it is the substance of the realities we hope for –
that is, it makes these desired realities exist within us” (Commentary on the Letter to the
Ephesians, 172).
Charity is also necessary to prepare the way, as Thomas affirms: “‘Prepare’ pertains to
charity, which is necessary for salvation” (Commentary on Matthew, 3). Thomas
explains: “A tree without roots, or a house lacking a foundation are destroyed easily. In
a similar way, a spiritual edifice not rooted and founded in charity cannot last”
(Commentary on the Letter to the Ephesians, 172).
Besides his call to penance, John makes another promise: “I indeed baptize you in
water unto penance, but He who will come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I
am not worthy to bear; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11).
Thomas affirms the interior effect that Christ gives to those who receive His baptism:
“One is the power of efficacy, by which He interiorly cleanses the soul from the stain of
sin. Christ has this power as God … John, in stating that the Holy Spirit came down
upon Christ, teaches that it is Christ alone who baptizes interiorly by His own power”
(Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John, 276).
In the second reading today Paul reminds the Romans, (Rom 15:4-9) of God’s patience,
“the God of all patience and encouragement” (Rm 15:5).
Can we be expected to have patience, as well? Thomas acknowledges: “It seemed
exceedingly difficult for a mere man to be able to imitate the example of Christ”
(Commentary on the Romans, 1149).
Thomas explains that God gives us the patience, which we don’t have: “God is the
giver, ‘You are my patience’ (Ps 71:5)… and of comfort, who bestows spiritual
consolation, ‘the Father of mercies and God of all comfort’ (2 Cor 1:3)…”
Paul tells us that we should extend the patience to others that God gives us: “Accept
one another, as Christ accepted you” (Rom 15:7). Thomas reflects, “Because of the
things written…namely, the examples of Christ and the other saints, receive one
another in the love of charity, namely that one bear things that pertain to another, just as
he would like to be helped as far as charity pertains, and so that one may bear with one
another…” (Commentary on the Romans, 1151).
We have the example of Christ for ourselves, as Thomas observes, “as Christ also has
received you, took you under His care and protection” (Commentary on the Romans,
1152).
Denis Vincent Wiseman, O.P.

References to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Commentary on Romans are taken from the
translation begun by Fr. Fabian R. Larcher, O.P. and edited by J. Mortensen and E.
Alarcón. The translation was published by the Aquinas Institute for the Study of Sacred
Doctrine, Lander, Wyoming, in 2012, pp. 394-397.