+ Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the
Baptist. John, of course, was a cousin of Jesus, the son of
Zechariah, a priest of the temple in Jerusalem whose task it was to burn
incense; and of Elizabeth, a cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As we see in
the gospel passage Zechariah’s tongue was released from silence only after the
birth of his son, whom he communicated would be named John – because he doubted
the angel’s word that his wife would bear a son in her old age, and that the child
would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment of his birth.
John
was the greatest of all the Old Testament Prophets
because he was the last one of them: who had the exalted privilege and honor of
literally pointing to Jesus, as he
walked along the banks of the Jordan when he began his public life, and
saying: Behold the Lamb of God, behold
him who takes away the sins of the world! Behold the Lamb of God, indeed –
these, of course, are the very words are now restored to the celebration of
Mass as the priest holds the Body of Christ before you to look at to see just
before receiving him in Holy Communion.
But, John’s main duty in the
history of salvation was not just to
point: but to prepare for the one
who would be pointed to: to prepare the
way of the Lord – by preaching a message of repentance for sin: only when the heart is clean can a person be
open enough to receive all the God has to offer through his beloved Son – for
salvation!
John converted many to this
stage of salvation, and then later encouraged them to follow the Lamb, Jesus,
who is the true Messiah – the one they had been waiting for these many
centuries – who would take them the rest of the way!
When Jesus finally did come on
the scene he came to John at the Jordan to give credence to what John was
doing, but also to be baptized himself, but not for himself (as he had no sin),
but rather for us – to show us that one day baptism and
confirmation would be needed by his disciples to bring them into his new and
mystical body of His – the Church!
Later, John was imprisoned by
King Herod because he told him that it was unlawful for him to marry his sister
in law, Herodias. Herod knew that John was right, but when the opportunity
presented itself the Baptist literally lost
his head so that the King could save
face at a dinner party in front of his guests. It was only fitting though –
that the very last Old Testament Prophet would give his life as a martyr for
Christ – whom he knew to be the Way, the Truth and the Life eternal that he and
everyone else was seeking for!
May we each do our all for the Lord every day, even preparing the way for his coming into
hearts who do not yet know him, or who may have forgotten about him, or who
just seem lost!
Jesus
came to save the lost! Jesus came to save us all!
Amen!
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