THE WORD AND THE FEAST
June 24, 2021: Solemnity of the nativity of St. John the Baptist
Isaiah 49:1-6; Acts 13: 22-26; Luke 1: 57-66,80
The birth narratives of John and Jesus, together have another important message to reveal to us and that is, we are not here by chance! We are part of a complex plan, an eternal design of God. We are willed into existence by God; we are loved into existence, by the Creator! In fact nothing happens by chance and there are no coincidences... if we look harder, if only we spend more attention, we can certainly see the hand of God, a miracle therein!
We have a purpose, because God knew us right when we were being formed in the womb of our mothers! We have a special mission because, it is the Lord who has called us by name, even before we were born! We are chosen in the eyes of God, because as St. Paul says, God has chosen us before the foundations of the world in Christ Jesus, to be holy and blameless! Many of us, how blind and lazy we remain, not willing (not that we are incapable) to see what God really wants of us! If only we grow in our eagerness to respond to God's will, we shall be living miracles of God, wherever we are.
So, we are created, called, commissioned and destined to usher in the Reign of God, as John announced the coming of Christ. Let us become aware of our call, our purpose and our destiny, which is much larger than the petty preoccupations of our daily worries! Troubles, disease, and suffering - where can they at the most lead us to? To death! Even that is won by the Lamb, whom John foretold. All that we need to do is become more and more intensely aware of our call, our purpose and our destiny.