Word to the Wise
Friday, June 24, 2016 - June 24 - The Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Mass during the Day
[Isa 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66, 80]"What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. [Luke]
The evangelist, Luke, is consistent. In his account of the appearance of the angel, Gabriel, to Mary, he mentions that Mary's cousin is also unexpectedly pregnant and is in her sixth month. So, the Church places John the Baptist's birthday six months before Jesus' birthday. (I'm sure many Moms would wish the natural world was as precise as the liturgical calendar!) Luke was also careful to compose his "infancy narrative" in such a way as to give great respect to John the Baptist but also to make clear that John was NOT the Messiah. We see a glimpse of that in the second scripture for today from the Acts of the Apostles (also composed by Luke) when he has St. Paul quoting John the Baptist: "What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet."
John the Baptist would figure strongly in the gospel accounts of the beginning of Jesus' ministry as someone who "prepared the way," as foretold in Isaiah. For this reason, he (JB) is a prominent figure in the Advent season. He is presented as someone that all of us should imitate in proclaiming the birth of Jesus, even if we don't live in the desert, wear animal skins or eat locusts and wild honey.
In my more musing moments, I think certain Church leaders might imitate John the Baptist by saying every day to themselves, "I am not the Messiah." All of us, though, know who the Messiah is and can point the way to him. John the Baptist is cheering us on! AMEN