Are You the One?: John the Baptist, Aquinas, and the Question of Waning Faith
Mass Readings for December 14, 2025
John the Baptist’s bold question echoes from a prison cell: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” On this episode of Sunday Dive, we’ll unpack the original messianic hopes fueling John’s inquiry and discover why Aquinas insists this question isn’t about wavering faith, but a masterful handoff to the New Exodus. Along the way, we’ll follow Jesus’ strategic move to Capernaum, decode the Old Testament allusions behind “the one who is to come,” and trace how the virtues of fortitude and patience are essential for us today. Prepare to dive deep into the heart of Advent and the radical arrival of the Kingdom!
Diving deep into the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Advent, we'll spend our episode looking closer at:
Why Jesus relocates from Nazareth to Capernaum to launch his ministry—a strategic move connected to ancient trade routes that maximizes his message’s reach [15:10]
The subtle Messianic title embedded in John the Baptist’s question “Are you the one who is to come?” and its roots in Psalm 118 and Jewish liturgy [09:30]
How Aquinas interprets John the Baptist’s doubts—not as lost faith, but as a masterstroke to lead his own disciples toward Christ [13:15]
The astonishing ways Jesus’ miracle list mirrors the prophecy of Isaiah 35, linking the healing of the blind, lame, and lepers to signs of the long-awaited Messiah [20:14]
What it means that “the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than John the Baptist”—and how this dramatic shift marks the greatness of the New Covenant [40:17]
Why Jesus calls John “Elijah” and how it signals Jesus’ identity not just as Messiah but as God himself, radically reshaping expectations for the kingdom [44:09]
The truth that the kingdom of God is for those who “contend for it,” and how virtues like fortitude and patience become spiritual weapons for anyone seeking holiness [47:28]
References
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." (Psalm 118:26)
"Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way before you." (Malachi 3:1)
"Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place which I have prepared." (Exodus 23:20)
"The wilderness and the parched land will exalt... the eyes of the blind shall see, and the ears of the deaf be opened. Then the lame shall leap like a stag, and the mute tongue sing for joy." (Isaiah 35:1-6, 10)
"Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed." (Romans 13:11)
"Blessed are the poor..." (Matthew 5:3)
"I must decrease. He must increase." (John 3:30)
"Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men long to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it." (Matthew 13:17)
"Men of violence take it by force." (Matthew 11:12)
"Patience is the root and guardian of all virtues." (Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job)
Discussion Questions
Katie explores the question of whether John the Baptist was "losing his faith" while in prison. What evidence does she give to suggest otherwise, and how does Aquinas’s commentary support her conclusion?
Why is the phrase "the one who is to come" considered a subtle messianic title in the context of Matthew’s Gospel and the Old Testament? How does Katie trace its roots through scripture?
What role does John the Baptist’s imprisonment play in the unfolding of Jesus’s public ministry? Why is John’s withdrawal significant for the start of the “Kingdom of God” preaching?
Katie details how Jesus’s move to Capernaum was strategic. What was the significance of this location for spreading his message, and how is this compared to a “resident concert series”?
How do the miracles listed by Jesus – the blind seeing, the lame walking, lepers being cleansed, etc. – serve as signs of messianic fulfillment? Why might John’s disciples have struggled to recognize these as fulfilling prophecy?
In the discussion of the first reading from Isaiah 35, Katie draws connections between Old Testament prophecy and Jesus’s actions. How do the miracles of Jesus fulfill the specific promises in Isaiah 35:5-6?
What does it mean that “the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than John the Baptist"? How does this statement reflect the transition from the old covenant to the new, and what implications does it have for followers of Jesus?
Katie explains that John’s disciples are sent to Jesus as John “decreases” and Jesus “increases.” What do you think this teaches about discipleship, leadership, and humility in Christian life?
How does the comparison between John the Baptist and Elijah deepen the significance of John’s role in preparing for Jesus? What does it mean that Elijah “prepared the way for God” and how is this connected to Jesus’s identity as both Messiah and God?
The episode’s conclusion explores the relationship between fortitude and patience, quoting Aquinas and Gregory the Great. How does the concept of patience as “the willingness to suffer” shape your understanding of Christian virtue, especially during Advent?