When I read today’s Gospel when preparing for today’s homily, I though: Boy, we’ve been hearing a lot about John the Baptist lately in our Sunday liturgies! Think about how on the 2nd Sunday of Advent, we heard him crying out in the desert, telling us to repent, that the kingdom of God was at hand. Then, on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, John was in prison, sending his disciples to Jesus, asking if he was the one they were waiting for. Last week, when we celebrated the Baptism of our Lord, we heard Matthew’s account of John baptizing Jesus in River Jordan. Today, we again hear John the Baptist testifying as to Jesus’ identity.
Even though we’ve heard a lot from John the Baptist lately, even though John is the last of the great prophets of ancient Israel, we really don’t know a lot about him. We might wonder how much contact Jesus had with John the Baptist when they were growing up since they were cousins. In recent years, many theologians and biblical scholars, including Pope Benedict, have speculated about John the Baptist being a member of the monastic community of the Essenes that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls, since John’s message and lifestyle were similar to what was going on in that community.
The most important thing we learn about John the Baptist is that he is a witness to Jesus. He sees Jesus coming toward him and proclaims: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” a phrase we Catholics know so well because that is what the priest proclaims in the mass just before the Eucharist is distributed. What’s striking about John is that he is a very focused and sure witness. The Gospels tell us that John the Baptist came to give testimony, that he himself was not the light, but that he came to testify to the light. In our world today, so many people want fame and fortune for themselves, so many want nothing more than their time in the spotlight, but John is comfortable with who he is and the mission he’s to accomplish for God. John knows that he is not the center of attention, but he is ok with that.
So, as we hear about John the Baptist and the witness he gave to the world, how are we called to be witnesses to the light as we try to bring the message of Christ’s Good News to the world? Perhaps our reading from the 1st letter to the Corinthians will give us some clues, as Paul tells us that we have been sanctified in Christ, that we are called to be holy as we call upon the name of our Lord. The link he is making is so important; it is only through our identity with Christ and our relationship with him that we will achieve the holiness to which we are called. It’s good to remember that Paul was writing to a faith community at Corinth that was being torn apart by so many problems: they were broken up into factions, they were accused of sexual immorality, and even when it came to celebrating the Eucharist as a community, they were doing so arrogantly and selfishly. Yet, Paul is still able to say to them that they are sanctified by God, that they are called to holiness. As a priest, I like to tell people that God meets us in the midst of the reality of our lives no matter how raw or messy it may be. We need to see where God is in our lives and where he is calling us; we need to respond to that call to holiness no matter where we’re at in our lives.
In the context of our strengths and weaknesses, our personalities and our gifts, God calls us to holiness, meeting us where we are at. I remember once, an inmate in the state prison asked me about St. Francis of Assisi, wondering if he was the one who said preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words. I affirmed that this was true. This young inmate said that he really liked that saying, that God often spoke to him not in words, but by the example and actions of others.
We can see so many ways people live out this holiness in their lives in different shapes and forms. I was once visiting a patient in St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson when an orderly came to wheel him out for a test he needed. The orderly was a big burley guy, covered in tattoos, yet the kindness, friendliness, and gentleness with which he treated this patient and his family really struck me. He could have approached this as just a mundane, menial job, as just a way to earn a paycheck, as a mindless task, but to me, he was doing ministry, ministering to the people as much as I was doing so as a priest.
How is God calling us to be witnesses to Christ in our world today? Just as John the Baptist pointed others to Christ, just as he came to give testimony, we are called to be witnesses in our own way, in the reality of our own lives, in the way that God is calling us.
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