Nativity of John the Baptist
Is 49:1-6 | Acts 13:22-26 | Lk 1:57-66, 80
I. The birth of a child always elicits much excitement in family life:
- proud parents glow with delight and tell the story of the child’s birth
- grandparents rush to see the new child and gloat to their friend’s about their
newest grandchildren: they are at the ready with one or more pictures on
their cell phone! - excited friends and family bring special gifts for the newborn
- the child is born into a family – and we may well wonder…what or who will
this child become? How will this child’s life unfold?
We see that same excitement with the birth of John the Baptist: - excited family and friends gather around
- I’m sure there were many wondering how it was possible that Elizabeth
could even give birth - they were stunned when Zechariah insisted the boy’s name would be John
- talk of all these events spread throughout the neighborhood
II. We were all that new born child at one time…family members were excited about
us and they speculated about who or what we would become. We were born into
family...educated, prepared for the brave new adult world…and then – at some
point - we adopt a mission in life….we formulate our world view, decide the values
we will live by, establish our own lifestyle and ways of doing things. We may
embrace remaining single…or we may find a marriage partner…or decide to
embrace a vocation like priesthood or religious life. And then there is always a
career and special interests we follow.
III. But we don’t clearly know how to do all that…we kind of make it up as we go
along…just as parents don’t get an owners manual when a child is born, neither do
we receive a set of instructions on how to live life…instead, we trust our instincts…
we watch and observe others…we do the best we can. AND, we Christians do
have the lifestyle and vision laid out by Jesus for healthy, healthful and wholesome
living.
John the Baptist didn’t have a road map to follow either, but he did know that
he not was the center of the universe: he knew it wasn’t all about him. Instead, he
understood he was given a mission, he was a pointer to someone or something
bigger than himself. So he was attentive, discerning what his message should be
and whom he should be pointing out.
IV. Just as we are children born into a larger family unit, so we are disciples of Jesus
born into the Christian family, pointing out in some way how to live the Christian
life.
In his exhortation, “Rejoice and be Glad,” Pope Francis writes: “Each saint is a
mission, planned by the Father to reflect and embody, at a specific moment in
history, a certain aspect of the Gospel.”
In other words, we don’t just have a mission: we are a mission…in some way
reflecting Christ out into the world.
Pope Francis advises us: “The important thing is that each believer discern his
or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most
personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), rather than
hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them.”
Just as a shiny stone or piece of glass in a grand mosaic reflects just a bit of
light, so do each of us reflect a bit of Christ’s light to the world. So, how do you
and I do that? How do we – like John the Baptist – point the way to another?
A. How do I, in my role as priest and pastor, act as a shepherd among Christ’s
sheep? How Christ-like are my words and actions? How I help others to
find their way to Christ?
B. How do you, as a dedicated single person, model holiness in your style of
life? How are you Christ to your family members…to your friends? How
do witness to Christ in your place of work and in your community? Would
others identify you as a disciple of Jesus?
C. How do you – as a searching young person, as a young adult, busy about
the task of putting your life vision together, modeling discernment? Do
others see you leaning upon the foundation of your faith for making school
and career decisions? Do your friends see you, as a young person,
searching for ways to be holy and to grow in holiness?
D. How do you, as a parent and grandparent, point the way to Christ in your
family life? How are building the foundation of faith for your children and
grandchildren? Are you showing, by the example of your life, the
importance of trusting in God’s providential ways…that you don’t have all
the answers, but that through your faith, you trust in God’s leadership
over you and your family? And how does your family unit show the light
of Christ to others?
VI. As our lives unfold, we do the best we can – pointing the way to Christ. There may
be times when we feel like Isaiah, “I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing,
uselessly, spent my strength.” Yet we know our reward is with the Lord, our
recompense is with God.” It is Jesus who fills in the gaps and helps thing to make
sense in our own hearts and in the hearts of those we witness to.
(Fr. Dwayne Thoman)