You, too, were wonderfully made!

Good News ReflectionWednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary TimeSolemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist June 24, 2009
Today's Prayer:For overcoming doubts about God http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/JohnBaptist.htm
Today's Readings:Isaiah 49:1-6Ps 139:1b-3, 13-15Acts 13:22-26Luke 1:57-66, 80http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/062409a.shtmlAudio:http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_06_24.mp3
For a pro-life leaflet and parish hand-out on these readings, please see http://catholicdr.com/calendar/June/JohnBaptizer.htm.
You, too, were wonderfully made!
Do you realize how closely alike you and John the Baptist are? Today's first reading shows us that God had a special purpose for John the Baptist since before he was born. The Lord did the same for you! Since the moment of your conception, even before you looked human and had a beating heart and a brain that could think, God created you with a special purpose in mind.
God has given you a sharp-edged sword, i.e., the ability to speak the truth. He gave you this gift during your baptism when you received the Holy Spirit.
The Lord is concealing you in the shadow of his arm. No matter how hard your life has been, and no matter how many times you strayed from the Lord, you still belong to him. He has kept you from being snatched by the Evil One.
Even though you have sometimes toiled in vain and your efforts to do God's work have seemingly been for nothing, as if you uselessly spent your strength, your reward is with the Lord. He will give you recompense.
No matter how ugly you think you are, no matter if you are too short or too tall or diseased or malformed by a birth defect, you were made glorious in the sight of the Lord, your Creator. The verses of today's responsorial Psalm confirm this: You are wonderfully made! Since the moment of your conception, your life has been precious and important.
Whatever you can imagine doing for the Lord is "too little" compared to what he knows you can do. He has bigger plans for you, a more important use for your gifts and talents and experiences and training than what you've done so far. He will make his light shine ever brighter through you!
As it says of John in the Gospel reading, you, too, are God's child, growing and becoming strong in spirit. You have experienced the desert of hardships and training, you have suffered and lacked and thirsted and hungered. And all of this is valuable and useful when you follow Jesus into greater service for his kingdom.
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