The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
is the first moment of revelation of God’s great plan to redeem mankind…
the first moment of joy and anticipation for God’s people.
Even before the Birth of Jesus…
before the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth…
before the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus to Mary by the angel Gabriel…
the one who would announce the presence of the Messiah
to the people of Israel is born.
This is one of those rare days in the Church’s liturgical calendar
when a Feast of a Saint takes the place of the celebration of Sunday.
Not in Lent and Advent…
Solemnity…
Shows the significance of this feast in the history of salvation…
John the Baptist is the child of the barren woman Elizabeth…
Out of her barrenness God brings new life…
His birth is a sign that out of the barrenness of fallen creation
God wishes to bring new life…
That life comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ…
in all that He teaches to the Apostles…
in the Sacraments and the life of the Church…
In Christ God showers new and abundant life on a world barren because of sin.
Sin had made the world barren and rendered it incapable of producing life.
The victory of the Cross overcomes sin and death
and the Resurrection brings new life to all of creations…
John the Baptist is the forerunner of Christ…
the one who prepared the way for the Messiah…
who made a straight path through the desert for the coming redeemer.
He performed a ministry of baptism by water along the Jordan River…
calling the people to repentance for their sins.
He is a prophet announcing the presence of God in the midst of the people of Israel.
When Jesus appears to begin His public ministry…
John cries out…
“Behold the Lamb of God…”
In every Mass…the priest elevates the Host and Chalice and calls out…
“Behold the Lamb of God…
Behold His who takes away the sins of the world…
Blessed are they who are called to His supper…”
Blessed are those among us who are worthy to receive Communion…
Blessed are the members of the Church who share in this holy supper.
Truly blessed are those who now share in the banquet of the Lamb in Heaven.
We who partake of the holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ…
are called to be just as much prophets as John the Baptist.
We live in a world that remains in many ways “barren”
because of sin and a culture of violence and death…
a world in which Jessie Davis and her unborn daughter are taken from us…
[a reference to a local murder case that affected the Canton community]
The world needs us to call out…
like the priest at Mass…
and like John the Baptist of old…
“Behold the Lamb of God…”
In our schools and workplaces…
we call out…
“Behold the Lamb of God…”
“Behold this Jesus whose Gospel can transform your life and make it new.”
“Behold the one who takes away your sins in the Sacrament of Penance.”
“Behold the one who gives Himself to you in the holy Eucharist.”
Yes, the world needs Jesus and needs Him desperately.
The prophetic mission of proclaiming the truth of Christ is entrusted to us.
For the sake of all those who do not know Christ
and whose lives can be made whole again if only they come to embrace Him.
we pledge our lives for the cause of the Gospel.
1 comment:
Good post.
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