Word to the Wise
Monday, June 24, 2013 - 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 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 is an important figure in the story of Jesus. The liturgical calendar makes that clear because we celebrate his birth (calculated in our Gregorian calendar to be six months ahead of Jesus' birth - Luke 1:36), his death (at the hands of Herod because of the jealousy of Herodias - in August), his ministry (Advent) and especially his "baptism" of Jesus. (January).. The evangelist, Luke, is the author of both the gospel named after him as well as the Acts of the Apostles. The second and third scriptures for today are taken from those. Throughout his story of John the Baptist, he shows some remarkable parallels but is always careful to "put John the Baptist in his place." John is a messenger but he is not the message. Jesus is the message.
It is clear that John the Baptist's followers managed to get their message out because in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter (11:16) and Paul (19:4) encounter people who knew of the baptism of John but not the "baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus." It was necessary to correct this partial understanding with the complete understanding of John's place in the plan of salvation. Jesus says in Luke 7:28, "Among those born of women none is greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." It is the full power of baptism in Jesus that is the message. It's our job to get this message out. AMEN