24 June 2018
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Who are you? Why are you here? What is your purpose in life?
Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist, one of three birthdays we celebrate in the liturgical life of the Church in addition to Jesus (Christmas) and Mary (September 8th). We celebrate his birth because it heralded the birth of the Messiah that was soon to take place, and because he was to be the last of the great prophets in the tradition of the Old Testament: the forerunner of the Savior Himself. Celebrating the birth of this great figure in salvation history, however, also gives us cause to consider our own lives, reminding us that just as John had a name, a reason, and a purpose to his life, so do you.
Zechariah and Elizabeth had been without children throughout the whole of their marriage, and it was while Zechariah was offering incense in the Temple that the angel Gabriel appeared and let him know that God would grant them the desire of their hearts. What’s more is God planned to involve John in granting the ultimate desire of the hearts of all humanity: freedom from sin and death. Zechariah was, quite literally, dumb-founded (Luke 1:20), struck speechless for the whole of his wife’s pregnancy. It was not until the birth of the child that the old man’s tongue was loosed, proclaiming—in the form of his son’s name—that “God is gracious.”
Yet is God any less gracious in that you, or anyone of us, was born? Consider the fact that the probability of you being born—factoring in all the unique factors and circumstances necessary for the unrepeatable example of humanity that you are—is, according to one estimation, about one in 102,685,000. And yet, from before He said, “Let there be light,” you, my infinitesimally unlikely brother or sister, were a thought in His mind and a desire in His heart: He created the universe so that this precious thought of His could exist in reality, so He could love you in truth, and not merely in desire. True, His great angel did not break in upon either of your parents and announce your coming, but all the longing, care, and grace that went into the coming of John the Baptist went into your coming as well, and for the same reason: that God could love you. Thus St. Ignatius wisely counsels us to love Him back as part of our reason for existence. Our praise, reverence, and service to God is a participation in the love with which and for which we were created in the first place.
You might say, “But Father, John the Baptist was also given a great purpose and task; I have not.” True, he was! But you have been entrusted with an even greater mission. He was charged with announcing the coming of the Lord: you, by your baptism, have been charged with an even greater task of announcing His rising from the dead, His presence among us, His imminent return, and the eternal life that is promised for those who believe in and follow Him. Had John been told of what we would be called to witness to in the world, he would find his own prophetic call to be quite dull by comparison. Pray for us, St. John, as we live our lives proclaiming Christ, preparing the way for His return!