How are you like John the Baptist?

Good News Reflection
Thursday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time
June 24, 2010
Today's Feast: Nativity of John the Baptist
Pray to overcome doubt:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/JohnBaptist.htm
Today's Readings:
Isaiah 49:1-6
Ps 139:1b-3, 13-15
Acts 13:22-26
Luke 1:57-66, 80
http://www.usccb.org/nab/062410b.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_06_24b.mp3
How are you like John the Baptist?
On this day that celebrates the birth of John the Baptist, consider how much like him you are. Today's first reading gives us a description of the type of person who prepares the hearts of others to receive more from Christ.
God commissioned John the Baptist for ministry at his birth and gave him his name while he was still in his mother's womb. In other words, his vocation for the kingdom of God was his identity. The Lord did the same with you! Since the moment of your conception, even before you looked human and had a beating heart and a brain that could think, he named you as his precious child. (This, by the way, is proof that every abortion kills someone who is loved by God.)
The Lord gifted John with a sharp-edged sword, i.e., God gave him the ability to speak the truth (the sword of the Spirit), which cuts through the lies and deceptions of evil. He gave you the same gift during your baptism when you received the Holy Spirit.
The Lord concealed John in the shadow of his arm, i.e., he protected him from the Enemy so that John would be available to serve the kingdom of God. No matter how difficult 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've uselessly spent your strength, like John, your reward is with the Lord. He will reward you generously.
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 look glorious to the Lord, your Creator. Today's responsorial Psalm confirm this: You are wonderfully made! Since the moment of your conception, your life has been precious and important.
As it was with John, God has become your strength. And like John, what you think you can do for the Lord is "too little" compared to what he knows you can do, regardless of how young or old you are now. He has bigger plans for you, a more important use for your gifts and talents and experiences and training than what you've been able thus far to do. He will make his light shine through you! His salvation will reach others as long as you're willing to serve him and you act upon this desire.
What Luke 1:80 tells us of John is true of you also: You 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. You are receiving from God the nourishment that can quench your neediness and fill you with his love.
Everything that has happened to you can become valuable and useful when you let God send you forth in service for his kingdom.
For a pro-life leaflet and parish hand-out on these readings, see http://catholicdr.com/calendar/June/JohnBaptizer.htm
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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