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| Birth of John the Baptist |
| Today
is the Feast of John the Baptist. When we hear his name, a grim picture
comes to mind. He was not the Messiah. This he made clear to the crowds
who thought he might be. His whole life was spent going before Jesus to
prepare His way. His message sometimes sounded as harsh as his garb and
diet: repent! |
| What
we fail to realize is that he is not preaching to the bad people. We
read that those coming to him were the Pharisees, Sadducees, and
religious leaders. Good people, faithful people. They obeyed the law,
they went to the temple. John is castigating the sins of the good, not
the horrors of the bad. |
| There
is a danger these days when we look at the news. We often see or hear
things that can boggle the mind. We can be stunned by the violence, the
blatant racism and bigotry. How could anyone commit these acts of
violence, inflict this much pain on another human, disrupt families? How
could anyone sell heroin to school children, or beat up an elderly
woman for a mere few dollars? We are all numbed by this sort of thing,
it is beyond our comprehension. |
| But
there is a second way these horrors affect us and it is far more
subtle, far more spiritually subtle. The effect of such horrors is that
they tend to justify us. By this I mean, we say, well, for all the
little mistakes I make, for all the tiny sins I commit, I am not as bad
as those people. And this is true, and to this extent, we come off
fairly well. And that is when someone like John the Baptist comes along. |
| He
won’t let us settle for such complacency. There is too much at stake
when good people are content and believe that they are good because they
are not bad. What disturbs him is when good people are just content
with the minimum. He challenges us, and demonstrates that, you are the
light of the world, you are the salt of the earth. We are coaxed and
shouted at by John, but only so that we will keep and should keep
turning towards Jesus. |
| John
was herald, but Jesus is the message. John was the voice, but Jesus is
the word. John offered testimony, but Jesus is the truth. John spoke of
promise, but Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise. John preached
repentance, but Jesus brought forgiveness. |
| What
would John say to us today? What would he preach to the richest nation
in the world? He would probably ask, why is it that some of our children
go to bed hungry? Why is it that in this country that flows with milk
and honey, there are children who lack medical care, or an education? He
would want to know why it is that every 26 minutes a child is injured
or killed by a gun. And the rate of teenage suicides has tripled in 30
years. |
| We
are challenged by John precisely because we are the good, people from
whom more should be expected, more demanded. And he will not allow us to
hide behind those comparisons that water down our call to a deeper
union with Christ. He asks us to ask ourselves, where I work, where I
spend my day, Is that place different, better, more human and more
Christian, more for others because I am there? |
| John
was speaking of Christ when he said, “He must increase, but I must
decrease.” As we face the many challenges of today’s living, that might
be a good mantra or motto to adopt. When you receive Christ today,
simply repeat the words of John. Speak to Christ and say, Lord, You must
increase, but I must decrease. Help me see the things I need to see.
Help me change the things I need to change. In the words of St. Francis,
“Preach the Gospel always. Only when necessary, use words.” |
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