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We all know who John the Baptist is. The four gospels speak of him several times. John announced and baptized Jesus. He pointed Jesus out to his own disciples, from among whom the Lord chose His first followers. We know of his imprisonment by Herod and his execution. John the Baptist is certainly a martyr, although today we are not celebrating martyrdom, we are celebrating his birth. We wear white vestments not the color red of a martyr.
Jesus, Mary and John are the only births celebrated in the liturgy of the church. The Nativity of John the Baptist only occurs in the Sunday liturgy once every five or six years. The next time this solemnity takes place will be 2012. So today we observe the birth of the man of whom Jesus said, “Among those born of woman, there is no greater than John the Baptist.
John pointed the way to Jesus and to salvation. Today he shares in the glory of the One whose sandal he was too humble to stoop to unfasten. God's endless love continues into our own graced lives. It may not be as dramatic as John’s. But God still acts on behalf of each of us. If we are faithful as John, we too will share in God's abundant graciousness and blessing. We, too, will share in the glory of the One whom we serve.
John was the precursor who preceded Jesus. We are the disciples who follow
Jesus. Our own bold announcing of the Messiah's presence and good news may not flow from miraculous conception and naming. (The name John means, “the Lord is gracious.”) This, however, hardly makes us any less precious in God's graciousness. We, too, are "precursors" of the Lord's coming. By our own faithfulness to who we are we witness to the presence of the risen Christ among us. We must be as faithful to our identity and mission as was John. We often think of God's graciousness in terms of receiving graces, getting what we pray for, good things in life which come our way, etc, etc. Each of these is a manifestation of God's ultimate graciousness in bringing us to salvation. But, do we ever think of ourselves as manifestations of God's graciousness? We don’t need to look to big things to see Jesus’ presence and God’s graciousness. We must do simple, everyday things well in Jesus’ name.
Only thirty percent (30%) of all Catholics are actively engaged in the church. They attend Mass on a regular basis, are actively involved in at least one ministry, support their parish financially, and see the parish as an integral part of their lives. Of the remaining seventy percent (70%), thirty percent (30%) are uninvolved. They attend Mass every once in a while, do not participate in church actives, they give modestly with no pattern of giving, and do not see the parish as an integral part of their lives. The remaining 40% are disengaged.
John was the herald of good news. Today God is asking, perhaps begging each and every one of us to herald the good news of his Son, our Lord and Savior. We are the actively engaged. If we do not reach out to those who are not in attendance, then who do you suppose will?
In your prayer time, ask God to help you identify these persons. Ask for the wisdom to inform, the courage to invite, and the faith, strength, and humility of John the Baptist, that we too might point the way to Christ the Lord.
I want to leave you with a few thoughts that may help you to herald the good news. The first is: if you know someone who is not a member of the Catholic Church and you would like information about joining, the process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, often referred to as the RCIA. The second is: on August 26th after each Mass there will be an excellent opportunity for gathering information on the various ministries at Holy Family. This is for those who want to learn more about increasing one’s activity in the parish: take courage – inquire!
Pray for the flock, for those lost, and for those who have gone astray. Pray that; our mouth be opened, and our tongue freed, that we may speak God’s blessing.
Pope Benedict said, “Anyone who has discovered Christ must lead others to him. A great joy cannot be kept to oneself. It has to be passed on.”