THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
First Reading - Isaiah 49:1-6
Second Reading - Acts 13:22-26
Gospel - Luke 1:57-66,80
Today's first reading gives us the Second Servant Song from the Book of Isaiah. This song of the servant focuses on the mission of the servant to bring back the people to the Lord. The re-gathering of the people as the mission of the servant refers to the people of Israel and other nations as well. The song proposes strikingly a new teaching of the servant to include other nations as his mission commissioned by God by bringing light and salvation to them. However, the song also underscores the failures of the servant to do so but he exudes confidence and trust in God despite all. The fusion of the mission of the servant to Israel and other nations paves the way to understand the role of the mission of John to prepare all people, sinners and righteous alike, for their salvation in Jesus. He always wanted to gather all, particularly the lost ones, to the Lord.
In the second reading, Paul preaches encouraging sermon to the Jews. The message of Paul contains polemic overtone. Paul lays stress on the fact of Jesus' being the Messiah in accordance with the scriptures. Paul traces the messiah-ship of Jesus to the promise made by God through the history of the chosen people. Therefore, the explanation of the brief history by Paul invites people to recognise the fulfillment of God's promise in Jesus which even John the Baptist hinted at.
Today’s Gospel describes the birth and naming of St. John the Baptist, the last Old Testament prophet. He was given the mission of heralding the promised Messiah and of preparing the Chosen People to welcome that Messiah by preaching to them repentance and the renewal of life. John was born to the priest, Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth in their old age. Today’s Gospel passage describes John’s birth, Circumcision, and Naming ceremony.
John's elderly parents rejoiced in his birth, as he was a gift from God in their old age. Since the child was a boy, all their neighbors rejoiced with them, and the village musicians celebrated the birth by playing their joyful music. The Naming followed the baby’s Circumcision, and Elizabeth insisted that the child should be named John (which means “the Lord is gracious”), the name given him by the Archangel Gabriel when he spoke to Zechariah. The mute Zechariah approved that name by writing, “His name is John.” At that action of obedient surrender to the Lord God, the priest’s speech was restored, and he loudly proclaimed the praises of God for blessing him with a son and Israel with her Deliverer, Whose herald his son would be.
Dear friends, all the three readings punctuate at the confirmation that the birth of John had a specific purpose in the mind of God that is to herald the promised Messiah. The gospel lays stress on the miraculous birth of John and miraculous sign accompanied in naming him John. Both the events bear witness that the birth of John, the Baptist had a divine plan which he carried out faithfully throughout his life by becoming light to the people to bring them to God in repentance. John, the Baptist understood the purpose of his existence and lived it accordingly. This feast reminds us today to discover the purpose of God's plan for each one of us. We are born on this earth not for no reason but with a purpose. It's this purpose which gives us meaning to our lives. Certainty, it's by examining our life, our daily events, and past events, we can somewhat understand the purpose of our life. We also can do it by praying to God to enlighten our minds to understand His purpose in our lives.
The second lesson that we can learn from John the Baptist as Christians is that we are called to be the light to all people. John became light to the people by leading them to God. We are also to become light to the people by leading them to God through our exemplary Christian life motivated by gospel values and through our words inspired by God's wisdom. Our every action or word that leads people to God makes us light to them.
May God help us imbibe the virtues of St. John, the Baptist.
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