Nativity of John the Baptist
Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalm 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 14C-15, Acts 13:22-26, Gospel LK 1:57-66, 80
The Church celebrates today
Today we gather to celebrate the feast of John the Baptist - that Elizabeth who was barren has given birth - and that John is the forerunner of the Messiah - God’s plan - promised in the Garden of Eden is beginning to be fulfilled. John came into the world when there were many reasons to despair - The Romans ruled Israel, and there seemed to be no way that the Messiah would come.
Despair infects our world
Today we may find that our world is in a similar state. We live in a culture that in many ways is in despair. What is going on in our culture that is leading us to despair? Two weeks ago all the news could speak about was the suicide of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade. These acts of despair reflect a loss of hope in our culture. We have lost our understanding of the vision of who Christ is calling us to be.
The readings through the eyes of the World
If we look at John’s birth through the eyes of the world we could see it as being rooted in despair, sadness and tragedy. During his time being barren was a sign of alienation from God. What must it have been like for Zechariah and Elizabeth to live together faithfully for all those years and yet not to be able to conceive. The family and friends all saw this as a consequence of sin or some other shortcoming in the eyes of God.
See how Elizabeth secludes herself and how Zechariah - became a useless priest! What good is a priest who cannot speak! Or in Isaiah - watching the Babylonians destroying everything you love and cherish. Watching what you know to be God’s chosen people to be destroyed.
Where is your despair?
To begin our reflection today I want to ask that you take a moment and identify what are the areas in your life where you find despair? Where are the areas in your life that have lost hope?
Is it
- A Perennial Sin?
- In my marriage?
- In my failure to be married?
- In my divorce?
- In my work
- With my kids? friends?
Let the Word of God enter into your moments of despair!
The places in our lives where we despair are the places in our lives that are in need of an encounter with the Gospel - the good news of Jesus Christ.
If we put ourselves in the shoes of the Jews - today is the feast that has been long anticipated, in today’s feast we see the end to despair and the beginning of the realization of God’s plan to bring people back to Him.
In the First Reading, Isaiah says
“Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength”
What is the difference between the world and the Church?
What is the difference between Isaiah, and Kate Spade, or St. Elizabeth and Anthony Bourdain? What is the difference between non-Christians who suffer and Christian’s who suffer? Both suffer difficulty - how does being a Christian change how we go through periods of struggle and difficulty.
We suffer to say yes to Christ - and he transforms our suffering!
Isaiah gives us the clue - As Christians we know that God created us for a purpose - for a mission. As Christians we know our story and our purpose in the world. It is not that we are created for nothingness - but rather that we are created to complete the will of God.
We know our story
If we remember our story - then we recall that just like Isaiah, God created us for a purpose. He created us to transform the world. Isaiah knows for what purpose God created him.
“The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.”
Yet then he suffers. Part of the story that Christ invites us into today is to invite Him into the times when we are suffering - in this way we invite the light into the darkness of our struggles.
Say yes - especially when you suffer
God called Isaiah to be a prophet not just to the people of Israel but to the world - this is how Isaiah ends today. If we can remember the story in the times of despair in our life, we are saying with our heart and our actions “Yes” to God - who is after all the God of Life. If we are able to say “Yes” to God, then that expands the possibilities of what God is calling us to do in the world.
When we say yes, God transforms us in love Look at how Isaiah ends
“It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
Following Christ, Mary and the Saints
One way we can grow in holiness and establish this habit of inviting Christ into the parts of our lives where we suffer is to imitate Christ. That is ultimately what we as Christians are called to do. If we struggle at times, then we can look to the Blessed Mother - We can look at the times of her life where she suffered and see how she said yes to God in those moments of her life. In addition to Christ and the Blessed Mother, the Church gives us the saints who are men and women who show us how we can know the story.
St. Ephrem - Know your story and Christ’s
St Ephrem the Syrian gives us a beautiful example of knowing the story. He wrote a beautiful prayer comparing the life of Elizabeth to that of Mary, and comparing the life of John to that of Christ. Here is what he said:
- The elderly Elizabeth gave birth to the last of the prophets, and Mary, a young girl to the Lord of the angels.
- The barren one gave birth to him who remits sins, but the Virgin gave birth to him who takes them away.
- The angel announced to Zechariah, so that the slain one would proclaim the crucified one.
- He who was to baptize with water would proclaim him who would baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit.
- The one filled with the Spirit would proclaim concerning him who gives the Spirit.
How do we become transformed like Isaiah, Elizabeth, Zechariah or John?
All of these Saints had a willingness to invite Christ into the areas of despair in their lives. They knew that despair is an occasion for transformation. I have 3 suggestions on how we might do this too.
- Pray the Stations of the Cross. Come here (Fridays are the best - but any day will do), and meditate on the passion and death of Christ and on your own passion as well. As you walk the stations think about how your situation is like that of Christ on the Cross, Christ being judged by Pilate unjustly, Christ falling under the weight of the Cross, Christ having to the help of Simon or his Mother.
- Offer it up in the Mass. The offertory of the Mass is the time when we offer our Gifts to God. In a certain way, the gift of our suffering can be united to the gifts of Bread and Wine that we collect during the offertory of the Mass. When we do this God accepts this sacrifice along with that of His Son and gives us the gift of His Body and Blood.
- St. Elizabeth went into seclusion when she realized that she was pregnant. She took time to ponder what God was doing in her life and in her old age. Take time to ponder - either with the Word of God at home to have a place in the house to pray, or to find time to sit before the Blessed Sacrament here on Thursday evenings or on the First Friday, or any other time - come and spend some time in silence with the Lord and with your suffering.
Don’t ignore God when you suffer - say Yes! to Him.
When Elizabeth and Zechariah could have ignored God and named John Zechariah, but they didn’t and instead brought the love of God into the world, and God’s presence became undeniable to those around them. Instead they said “Yes” to God, his presence and glory became undeniable.
Encounter Christ in your barrenness
The story of Elizabeth and Zechariah is that John enlivens a barren womb so that he can give witness to Christ who gives life to the tomb. Say “Yes” to God in times of trouble and he will use your “Yes” to transform the world
- from despair to hope,
- from darkness to light and
- from sadness to the Joy of Christ!
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