THE WORD AND THE FEAST
June 24, 2023: The Nativity of John the BaptistIsaiah 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Luke1:57-66, 80
There are no coincidences; there are only miracles! One constant and incomparable miracle in human life is birth!
Let us just imagine, how before any of us was born our father, mother, home, family, everything was determined and prepared for. All that we had to do was be there and insert ourselves into that reality. And when a child is born, everybody wonders what would become of the child, but God has had a definitive plan already from eternity. If only one cooperated with those plans, one would achieve the purpose of his or her life to the full... which is not merely a pretty long life for its own sake, but immensely a lot more.
Of course, many go rather early but that "early" is highly relative to the purposes achieved by those persons: for St. Francis it was 45 years, for St. Anthony it was 35 and for St. Dominic Savio it was just 14 plus! The real miracle is how things happen in such succession and correspondence that you can hardly account for. When we are mindful of a divine hand guiding us, we would find a great peace and serenity even amidst raging troubles and persistent problems.
The birth of John, which we celebrate today is painted in a manner that vividly brings out this miracle that every person is and every life is. What is important here is to be mindful of the call and be open to its ways. The feast speaks to us in these words: learn to look at yourself with a sense of mystery; open the eyes of your soul to see the mystery in every other who lives with you, or around you; keep your faith alive to realise and experience the Mystery present always with you and within you - the Lord who is leading you by your hand!