Bar. 5:1-9; Phil. 1:3-6, 8-11; Lk. 3:1-6
The First Reading (Bar. 5:1-9) is based on a prophetic song. In it, God promised to bring back His people from exile. As biblical history tells us, in 597 B.C., General Nebuzaradan captured Jerusalem and took the Jewish people into exile to Babylon (2 kgs 25:11; Jer. 29:1-2).
The First Reading continues by stating, "Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God." "For God will give you evermore the name, 'Righteous, Peace, Godly Glory." To put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God is to live our faith in Christ by walking in harmony with our new creation. Hence, In the Gospel of Luke 3:1-6, we encounter John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah, calling people to repentance. His voice echoes through the wilderness, urging hearts to prepare for the coming salvation. This powerful passage not only announces the arrival of Christ but also challenges us to examine our lives, straighten