Homily – 06-24-2008 – The Nativity of St. John the Baptist

What is so astounding about the birth of St. John the Baptist is that it was the first streak of dawn in an entirely new and long awaited day for humankind! In the darkness that had enveloped men, women and children since the days of Adam and Eve – there had been one chief promise made by God to make things right – to reconcile the situation between himself and Fallen Mankind. But while there was a promise – the people still had to wander in darkness of the ability to truly grasp God as he really is, to know him, to understand him, to love him, to serve him they way they knew – at times – that they should.

The first reading then, from Isaiah the prophet, speaks of the coming reality of two lights – a dimmer light, and then a brilliant light! John the Baptist was the dimmer of the two, because he was just the very first hint of dawn – which would be the arrival of Jesus, who would become the DAYSPRING, by his Death and Resurrection. He may have been the dimmer light, but he was not a dim character. The fact that John was this precursor – this forerunner – this very last of the Old Testament Prophets - who would have the privilege of literally pointing at Jesus coming to him for baptism and say: LOOK EVERYONE! THERE HE IS! THERE IS THE LAMB OF GOD – WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD! THERE IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD! – makes John the Baptist an enormously important figure in salvation history – and today we celebrate his birth!

Both Jesus and John were prenamed by an angel; both Jesus and John belonged to the same family of the line of David; their mothers were cousins, in fact; both Jesus and John would give their lives for the sake of ushering in the Kingdom of God the Father! Both Jesus and John recognized each other while they were still in their mother's wombs – and both leapt for joy at the nearness of salvation.

May our hearts this day leap for joy as we receive the same Jesus in Holy Communion. He wants us to rejoice, find hope and experience peace while he is near!

And as John prepared the way for Jesus, perhaps today, we can lead others – the people we will run into today - to consider making Jesus their true and lasting friend: people who need Light in their lives, a Lamp for their path, one who can absolve them of their sins. We can do this by the example of our LOVING ONE ANOTHER – being lights for each others' paths – and by asking God for the forgiveness of our own sins!