SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Today, we celebrate a very unique person in the life of the church; John the Baptist. Not much is known about him in his early life but we later saw the reasons why he was born which later manifested in the later part of his life. According to St. Thomas, John was sanctified in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth, when Mary visited (Luke 1:15). It was from that moment that the hand of God was upon John and this we see in the later part of his life; calling people to prepare a way for the Lord
Today we honor him because of the circumstances that surrounds his birth. We know that he was blessed to not only be born into the blessed family of Elizabeth and Zechariah but that the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, was also his relative and was present at his birth. Zechariah, his father, gave him the name “John” even though it would have been the custom to call him Zechariah after his father. Zechariah did this in obedience to the Archangel Gabriel, who appeared to him before John’s birth and instructed him to do so.
Great mystery and excitement surrounded the birth of John, and there is little doubt that those who were present at his birth would have been caught up in the intrigue and hope of who he would become. And John didn’t disappoint. It was of him that Jesus one day would say, “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John…” (Luke 7:28).
My dear brothers and sisters, just like the birth of John, though we may not have had the privilege of being sanctified in the womb of our mother, or to have had our father receive a revelation from the Archangel Gabriel prior to your birth, you are, nonetheless, called to be guided by the hand of the Lord each and every day. God wants us to become “strong in spirit” so that we can fulfill the unique will given to us. We honor the great saints, in part, because they give us an example of how to live. For that reason, we must see in each of their lives the model to which we must conform. The primary witness set by Saint John the Baptist is that he was unwaveringly obedient to God and to being formed by His hand. The result was the glorious fulfillment of his unique mission in life, all the way to giving his life as a martyr.
Pax Vobis
1 comment:
John became the one who prepared the way for Jesus by witnessing to him. A Forerunner for Christ.He led people in Jesus’direction through his life and preaching.Each of us is called to live in such a way that we point others towards the lord and help others to meet the lord. Shalom and More Grace Padre!!
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